A revision of the brassoline genus Opsiphanes (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera)

The brassoline genus Opsiphanes is revised: 18 new subspecies are described, 12 new synonymies established, the status of nine species and subspecies is revised and 30 lectotypes are designated. Seventy-two (of 92) primary types are figured, many for the first time. Along the Andes, there is a fairly close agreement between the distribution of some of the subspecies of Opsiphanes with the recently recognized endemic centres. East of the Andes, there is no close agreement between subspecies and endemic centres; each subspecies has, in general, a distribution across several centres. A similar distribution has been noted previously in the brassoline genera Catoblepia and Selenophanes. Some subspecies, however, indicate previously unrecognized centres or subcentres in Colombia and Ecuador.     

A revision of the brassoline genus Catoblepia (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera)

The brassoline genus Catoblepia is revised: eight new subspecies are described, nine new synonymies established, the status of four species and subspecies is revised, one species ( singularis ) is returned to the genus Opsiphanes and ten lectotypes are designated. All known holotypes (20) and lectotypes (10) are figured, many for the first time. The refined taxonomy reveals an interesting pairing of the Andean subspecies of xanthicles and berecynthia and it is suggested that diese may be mimetic pairs. There is close agreement in the distribution of the Andean species and subspecies with die endemic centres previously recognized; east of the Andes, however, diere is no close correspondence and each of the subspecies has, in general, a distribution across several endemic centres.     

Systematics of the genus Cidaria Treitschke (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae)

The genus Cidaria Treitschke is revised. Eight species of the genus which occur widely in the Palaearctic and northern India, are recognized, of which one, Cidaria luteata sp. nov. , is described as new while two subspecies of C. fulvata (Forster) are elevated to species, C. nugata Felder stat. rev., and C. distinctata Staudinger stat. nov. C. ochripennis Prout is proposed as a junior synonym of C. ochreata Staudinger. C. deletaria Hampson is excluded from the genus. All species of Cidaria and their genitalia are described and illustrated. The cladistic analysis of these eight species of Cidaria is carried out using two data matrices, the first comprising morphological characters alone and the second morphological and distributional characters. The most parsimonious cladogram of Cidaria is selected, and its monophyly defined. The character analysis shows that some distribution characters contribute to resolving the in group node. The choice of multiple trees is discussed.     

Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species,the Olinguito

We present the first comprehensive taxonomic revision and review the biology of the olingos, the endemic Neotropical procyonid genus Bassaricyon, based on most specimens available in museums, and with data derived from anatomy, morphometrics, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, field observations, and geographic range modeling. Species of Bassaricyon are primarily forest-living, arboreal, nocturnal, frugivorous, and solitary, and have one young at a time. We demonstrate that four olingo species can be recognized, including a Central American species (Bassaricyon gabbii), lowland species with eastern, cis-Andean (Bassaricyon alleni) and western, trans-Andean (Bassaricyon medius) distributions, and a species endemic to cloud forests in the Andes. The oldest evolutionary divergence in the genus is between this last species, endemic to the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador, and all other species, which occur in lower elevation habitats. Surprisingly, this Andean endemic species, which we call the Olinguito, has never been previously described; it represents a new species in the order Carnivora and is the smallest living member of the family Procyonidae. We report on the biology of this new species based on information from museum specimens, niche modeling, and fieldwork in western Ecuador, and describe four Olinguito subspecies based on morphological distinctions across different regions of the Northern Andes.     

Monograph of the neotropical species of Callipteris with anastomosing veins (Woodsiaceae)

Callipteris is a pantropical fern genus defined by two synapomorphies of its rhizome scales: 1) dark-castaneous to black borders, and 2) bifid marginal teeth. This monograph treats 15 neotropical species ofCallipteris that are further defined by the synapomorphy of anastomosing veins (free-veined species of the genus occur in the Neotropics and elsewhere). Three species are newly described here; the remaining 12 were previously classified inDiplazium. All the species ofCallipteris grow on wet forest floors at 100–2300 m. In the Neotropics the genus occurs from Guatemala to Bolivia, northern Brazil, and the Lesser Antilles. It has two centers of species richness. The first is the Chocó region on the western side of the Andes in Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. This region contains eight species, five of which are endemic. The second center is the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama, where six species occur, three of which are endemic. Only one species, an endemic, occurs in the Lesser Antilles in Martinique, St. Vincent, and Grenada. Four species occur only on the eastern side of the Andes, and these apparently represent at least two separate dispersal events from the western side of the Andes.     

四川贡嘎山地区杜鹃属的地理分布及区系组成

贡嘎山地区位于青藏高原的东南缘,横断山系的东北段,现有杜鹃属植物73种4变种2亚种。在贡嘎山地区东坡的不同垂直高度上分布有43种(包括变、亚种)杜鹃,西坡则分布有63种(包括变、亚种)。贡嘎山地区杜鹃属植物的区系组成属于泛北极植物区,大致分为:1、中国-日本森林植物亚区,只有1种杜鹃。2、中国-喜马拉雅森林植物亚区,有78种(包括4变种, 2亚种),其中(1)1种分布于西藏、云南,并经云南入缅甸分布;(2)44种为四川特产;(3)5种为贡嘎山地区特有种。另外,贡嘎山地区杜鹃属植物区系还有其特点:1、贡嘎山地区是杜鹃属植物分布中心之一;2、贡嘎山地区是杜鹃属植物分化中心之一;3、贡嘎山地区杜鹃属植物有垂直替代现象。     

江西木兰科植物的初步整理

通过野外采集及标本的整理鉴定, 确认江西产木兰科植物7 属22 种1 亚种, 其中3 种为江西特有种, 5 种为江西地理新分布。对各分类群进行了分类检索, 记载了其地理分布, 并列出凭证标本。     

Type specimens of Mitridae (Mollusca:Gastropoda) described by Linnaeus in the genera Voluta, Buccinum and Bulla between 1758 and 1771

From the 16 species of Mitridae described by Linnaeus between the years 1758-71 11 species are considered valid and available for taxonomic use; four specific names have been suppressed by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature for taxonomic usage (1968). One specific name, i.e. Voluta mitra episcopalis Linnaeus, has appeared in various combinations in malacological literature over the years. From the style of listing in the 10th edition of the Systerna Naturae , it is evident that 'episcopalis' has to be treated as of infraspecific rank; there is no evidence that 'episcopalis' is even a valid subspecies of Voluta mitra.
Three holotypes and five lectotypes designated in this paper are extant in the Linnaean collection; illustrations representing three Linnaean species have been selected as lectotypes.     

Typification of names in Cyperus section Arenarii (Cyperaceae)

The typification of names in the genus Cyperus was done as part of an ongoing study of the section Arenarii. The latest monograph on the genus by Kükenthal (1936), accepted eight species in the section Bobartia (= Arenarii ), and a number of lower level taxa, which are treated here either as distinct species or synonyms. The taxonomic treatment of the core species, C. conglomerates Rottb., turned out to be especially confusing, which is reflected in the past identifications of the material, and consequently, has created wrong interpretations on the distributions. C. jeminicus Rottb. has similarly caused a lot of confusion. Currently we recognize 26 species in the section, with two subspecies in C. conglomerate. Most names in the section have not earlier been typified. Here we designate lectotypes for 33 names, three epitypes, and one neotype. Cyperus sections Arenarii Kunth and Hymenolepides Nees are typified also.     

A revision of the Afrotropical taxa of the genus Amerila Walker (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

This paper comprises a complete revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Amerila ( Rhodogastria auct.), based on adult morphology. Examination of type material for most described taxa has resulted in numerous taxonomic changes. From a total of forty-seven previously described African taxa, thirty-five species including five newly described species and two new subspecies are recognized. For ten taxa, lectotypes have been selected, and for one species a neotype had to be designated. For each species, in addition to synonymy, a brief diagnosis based on external characters and genitalia is given, and the known distribution summarized. All species are illustrated by photographs and illustrations of male genitalia (except A.rufifemur , the male of which is unknown), and a key for determination of males by external characters is provided.     

Phylogeography of a morphologically diverse Neotropical montane species, the Common Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus)

The Common Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus) is distributed in Neotropical cloud-forests from Mexico to Argentina and contains 25 subspecies divided into eight subspecies groups based on biogeography, eye coloration, presence of a postocular spot and chest band. All of Central America is occupied by a single subspecies group; whereas the Andes are believed to be occupied by seven additional subspecies groups. We used five mitochondrial genes to investigate the phylogeography and possible species limits of the ophthalmicus complex. A total of 14 monophyletic lineages were uncovered within the ophthalmicus complex, including three clades currently classified as separate species (C. semifuscus, inornatus and tacarcunae). Divergence estimates for these clades date between 0.8 and 5.2 million years ago (Ma). Contrary to expectations based on morphological diversity, phylogeographic structure was greatest in Mexico and Central America and weakest in the Andes. Morphological and genetic divergences were not significantly correlated and most morphologically defined subspecies groups were not supported. Our evidence suggests the ophthalmicus complex originated in Mexico ca. 6.0 Ma (million years ago) and spread south into the Andes ca. 4.7 Ma before the completion of the Isthmus of Panama. Three genetically divergent lineages of ophthalmicus that formed in the Andes possess a complex checkerboard distribution, with a single lineage represented by disjunct populations from Venezuela and the southern Andes, while intervening populations in Ecuador and Central Peru form two genetically and morphologically divergent lineages.     

The phytogeographical studies of Thermopsis (Fabaceae)

The present article is the first comprehensive treatment of phytogeography of Thermopsis (Fabaceae) in the world. Thermopsis is one of the few genera within Fabaceae with the distribution pattern of the East Asia-North American disjunction. The distribution patterns of 5 recognized sections (including a new one) covering 21 species in Thermopsis are analyzed, and the results show four centres of frequency of the genus: the Eastern Asiatic Region (9 spp. / 3 sects., including 4 endemic species), the Irano-Turanian Region (7 spp./3 sects., including 3 endemic species), the Rocky Mountain Region (7 spp./2 sects., all endemic), and the Atlantic North American Region (3 spp. / 1 sect., all endemic). In the light of the fact that most species and sections, a number of phylogenetic series of the genus, and the most primitive sections and most advanced sections in Thermopsis occur in the East Asia, the Eastern Asiatic Region might be the centre of diversity of the genus. As the Irano-Turanian Region and the Rocky Mountain Region were just second to that of Eastern Asiatic Region in number of sections and species, and many polyploids appeared in these regions, they were considered as the secondary centres of distribution and speciation of the genus. The speciation looks to be frequent and complex in these regions, and many new taxa have been described from there while many new reduced or incorporated taxa have happened over there. However, recent molecular data has shown that two reduced taxa of Thermopsis are distinct in these regions. Based on the modern distribution patterns and evolutionary trends in morphological characters of the genus, and available fossil record of the genus and the historical geology, we speculate that Thermopsis had already existed on Eurasia and North America before the Late Miocene, and probably originated from an ancestral form of Sophora-like taxa with lupine alkaloids somewhere in the Laurasia in the Early Tertiary or Late Cretaceous. After the separation of the two continents, species on different continents developed distinctly under influences of different evolutionary factors. In Asia, the late Tertiary orogeny, disappearing of the Tethys and aridity and freezing caused by the Quaternary glaciation were the main forces to promote the speciation and evolutionary processes, whereas in North America it was the Quaternary glaciation and the orogeny of partial area to promote evolution of the genus. According to the evolutionary trends in Thermopsis and the distribution pattern of the primitive taxa, Sino-Japanese Subregion of Eastern Asiatic Region may be considered asthe centre of primitive forms of Thermopsis.     

Single origin and subsequent diversification of central Andean endemic Umbilicaria species

We studied an Andean endemic group of species of the lichen-forming fungal genus Umbilicaria from the subalpine and low-alpine zone, with their biogeographic center in Bolivia and Peru. A number of species and varieties have been described from this element, but apparent instability in several morphological traits has made it difficult to precisely delimit taxa. Based on DNA sequences of nuclear ITS, LSU and mitochondrial SSU from extensive collections from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, we present here a molecular phylogenetic analysis of this Andean endemic element within genus Umbilicaria. All analyses (MP, ML and Bayesian) support a single origin for the element and a division into two major groups characterized by different apothecium types: the Umbilicaria dichroa group and U. calvescens group. Taxa U. krempelhuberi, U. peruviana and U. subcalvescens are nested withinn U. calvescens and are treated as conspecific with the latter species. The endemic element shares a most recent common ancestor with the Umbilicaria vellea group, which has a worldwide distribution and contains several asexually reproducing (sorediate) species. Independent reversals to sexual reproduction might explain the evolution of two types of apothecia in this monophyletic endemic lineage. A number of cosmopolitan, mostly high-alpine, species of Umbilicaria also present in the central Andes are related only remotely to the endemic element and do not exhibit speciation into endemics. Because the An-dean element dominates the Umbilicaria habitats of the low- and subalpine zones we propose that the founder colonized the Andes at a time when the mountains had not yet reached their current elevation while the high-alpine species arrived more recently.     

Chromosome number of Macraea Iaricifolia Hooker fil. (Compositae) and its bearhg on the taxonomic affinity of the genus

ELIASSON, U. H., 1984. Chromosome number of Macraea lariciflia Hooker fil. (Compositae) and its bearing on the taxonomic affinity of the genus. The chromosome number of Macraea laricifolia , a composite endemic to the Galápagos Islands, is reported to be 2 n = 28. Macraea was once regarded as congeneric with Lipochacta , a genus restricted to Hawaii. The chromosome number supports morphological evidence that the two genera arose independently from wedelioid ancestors within the Heliantheae.     

First genetic assessment of the level of endemism in the avifauna of the Central Sierras in southern South America

The Andes constitute one of the main factors that have promoted diversification in the Neotropics. However, the role of other highland regions in the southern cone of South America has been barely studied. We analyzed the level of endemism in the avifauna of the Central Sierras in Córdoba, a high region in central Argentina, to evaluate the effect of its geographic isolation from the Andes. There are 11 species with endemic subspecies in this region, all of them described based only on differences in morphology (mainly plumage color) with no genetic evidence. We performed the first genetic analyses of seven of these species using mitochondrial DNA obtained from fresh tissue and toe pad samples. Our results show that for three of these species, Catamenia inornata, Phrygilus unicolor and Cinclodes atacamensis, the population in the Central Sierras is clearly differentiated from those of other regions, and the first two of them also show divergence among Andean subspecies. In the remaining species we found a varying degree of differentiation, ranging from a small divergence in Muscisaxicola rufivertex to the presence of different haplotypes but with an apparent lack of phylogeographic structure in Phrygilus plebejus and Sturnella loyca (being the latter the only species with a continuous distribution between the Central Sierras and the Andes) to haplotype sharing in Asthenes modesta. While further analyses including additional markers, morphological characters and vocalizations are needed, our results show that some of the species that have disjunct distributions, with a population in the Central Sierras isolated geographically from the Andes, possess distinct genetic lineages in the Central Sierras that suggest an evolutionary isolation from other populations. These findings highlight the importance of montane regions in general, and the Central Sierras in particular, as drivers of diversification in the Neotropics.