Towards a molecular phylogeny of colonial spumellarian radiolaria

Gene sequence data from the small-subunit ribosomal RNA coding region were used to explore evolutionary relationships among the colonial spumellarian radiolaria (Polycystinea). Representatives from the two spumellarian families known to form colonies were considered including the following taxa: Sphaerozoidae: Collozoum pelagicum; Collozoum serpentinum; Rhaphidozoum acuferum; Sphaerozoum punctatum; and Collosphaeridae: Collosphaera globularis–huxleyi; Acrosphaera (circumtexta?); and Siphonosphaera cyathina. Our molecular analyses support the monophyly of the Collosphaeridae in all analyses used, but only distance analyses support the monophyly of the Sphaerozoidae. Within the Sphaerozoidae, two species of Collozoum (C. serpentinum and C. pelagicum) failed to branch together, indicating a more distant relationship than first suggested, a conclusion further supported by recent ultrastructural studies (see adjoining paper). Branching patterns within the Collosphaeridae indicate that Siphonosphaera diverged prior to the split between Collosphaera and Acrosphaera, a result which challenges evidence based on data from the radiolarian fossil record.     

Trimeridianellidae nov. fam., a Triassic spumellarian radiolarian family with simple initial skeleton and pyloniacean mode of growth

Based on several samples of Middle and Late Triassic age, the authors describe a new family of spumellarian Radiolaria – Trimeridianellidae Dumitrica and Tekin, characterized by a three-fold symmetry, a first shell of triangular prism type with 6 primary rays originated at the edges of two bases of the prism, or 3 meridian arches with 3 equatorial rays, and growth of pyloniacean type. The family comprises 4 monospecific new genera (Enneacladus Dumitrica, Endoprisma Dumitrica, Trimeridianella Dumitrica and Tekin, and Tristylopyle Dumitrica), 4 new species and one left in open nomenclature. In spite of their spotty occurrences and low diversity, the authors attempt to trace the evolution of the family, which is considered to be the result of heterochrony in ontogenetic growth, mostly of paedomorphic type. The family seems to be related to the Middle Triassic family Patruliidae Dumitrica with which it shares in common the simple microsphere with 6 primary rays and the pyloniacean mode of growth.     

Bioluminescence of the solitary spumellarian radiolarian, Thaiassicolla nucleate (Huxley)

Bioluminescence of the solitary spumellanan radiolanan, Thaiassicollanucltata(Huxley), was investigated with photon-counting radiometryand intensified videography Light emission originated from numerousmicrosouices distributed throughout the extracapsulum and propagatedat a rate of 0 5 cm s^–1. The central capsule was not asource of bioluminescence A single brief mechanical stimulusproduced a flash with a simple waveform, mean duration of 5s,and maximum photon flux of 7 x 10⁸ photons s^–1. Totalmechanically stimulable luminescence was 5x10⁹ photons per organism.Maintained mechanical stimulation caused summation of lightemission that persisted for 18 s at a stirring speed of 2000r.p.m. Lower rates of stimulation increased the period overwhich luminescence was expressed. The response to electricalpulses involved minimal excitation during stimulation, a flashwas produced only after the cessation of stimulation and includedadditional flashes superimposed on the decay of luminescenceThe night-time vertical distribution of T nudeata during May1987 in the northern Sargasso Sea had a subsurface maximum ata depth of 45 m.     

A revision of the genus Lomaantha, with the description of a new species

Lomaantha phragmitis sp. nov. is described and illustrated from a specimen collected on dead culms of Phragmites communis in southern China. The fungus differs from other described Lomaantha species in its conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidial appendages. Conidial morphology and presence or absence of percurrent proliferation of conidiogenous cells are the main characters distinguishing species within this genus. We provided a key and synoptic table of morphological characters of all three Lomaantha species.     

中国似动蜉属及一新种记述 （蜉蝣目：扁蜉科）

似动蜉属Cinygmina是我国常见扁蜉科类群,分布广泛。本文对该属我国已知4种（湖南似动蜉C. hunanensis,斜纹似动蜉C. obliquistrita,红斑似动蜉C. rubromaculata,宜兴似动蜉C. yixingensis)和一新种（叉似动蜉Cinygmina furcata sp. Nov.）的鉴别特征作了对比和图示,并确认海南似动蜉C. hainanensis是红斑似动蜉C. rubromaculata的同物异名(新异名)。     

The genus Arctorthezia Cockerell (Hemiptera,Ortheziidae) with the description of a new species

This paper describes a new species of Arctorthezia Cockerell (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Ortheziidae) from the Palaearctic region. The specimens were extracted from forest litter in the collections of Muséum d’histoire Naturelle de Genève, Switzerland, using Berlese funnels. Three further species, Arctorthezia cataphracta (Olafsen), Arctorthezia occidentalis (Douglas) and Arctorthezia pseudoccidentalis Morrison, are redescribed and re-illustrated. The genus Arctorthezia now contains five species. An identification key, diagnostic illustrations, photographs of unmounted females and new locality records of the Arctorthezia species currently known are provided.     

Loaches of the genus Lepidocephalichthys, from Manipur, with description of a new species

A new species Lepidocephalichthys manipurensis , is described, confined to the Chandel district of Manipur near the adjoining borderland areas of Manipur, India and Burma (Myanmar). It is distinguished by the following combination of characters: a sharp small black dot just above the upper base of the caudal fin; 8–9 dorsal short dark ashy brown bars from occiput to the base of the caudal fin; absence of scales on the vertex of head; caudal fin fork, pectoral, ventral and anal fins are non-immaculate; least depth of caudal peduncle 50·00–60·24% (mean 54·09) of its length and 7·69–8·11% L , S (mean 8·22); caudal fin with 4–5 W-shaped bands: a single dark black stripe from tip of snout to eye; 8–11 spots on the mid lateral line; and 30–31 vertebrae. A key to the identification of lepidocephalid loaches of Manipur is provided.     

The genus Meira: phylogenetic placement and description of a new species

The genus Meira currently contains three recently described species of mite-associated basidiomycete yeasts from Israel and Japan and is placed in the Exobasidiomycetes (Ustilaginomycotina) Incertae sedis. A previously undescribed species of Meira was isolated from the phylloplane of a magnolia leaf in Louisiana, USA. Herein, we describe Meira miltonrushii sp. nov. and include phylogenetic analyses from three rDNA loci to resolve the placement of Meira. This study provides evidence that Meira belongs to the family Brachybasidiaceae in the Exobasidiales and supports the placement of another mite-associated yeast genus, Acaromyces, within Cryptobasidiaceae (Exobasidiales). We also examine sequences produced by numerous environmental studies that suggest Meira species can be found as endophytes of many plant species. To our knowledge, this is the first record of a member of the genus Meira in North America.     

The occurrence of Almeidini (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) in Australia, with the description of a new genus

Abstract. The tribe Almeidini Carayon, 1972 is recorded from Australia and Australmeida gen.n. described. The brachypterous male and female of the typespecies Lasiochilus derricki Gross, 1954 are redescribed and the macropterous male and female and the submacropterous female are newly described. One possibly conspecific specimen is recorded from Kerevat, New Britain. The structure of the male and female internal reproductive systems reinforces the external characters used by Carayon (1972a) as indicating close affinity of the Almeidini to the Xylocorini. The genus Almeida Distant is recorded from Australia and the genuse Limppomanus Distant from New caledonia.     

A re-evaluation of the Bruchiaceae with the description of a new genus

It is proposed that the Bruchiaceae be restored as a family distinct from the Dicranaceae on the basis of the longnecked, stomatose capsules. The peristome teeth, when present, are vertically barred (or papillose when reduced) rather than vertically pitted. The family is considered to consist ofBruchia, Pringleella,Eobruchia gen. nov., andTrematodon. The Bruchiaceae seem transitional between the Dicranaceae and the Ditrichaceae.Wilsoniella is transferred to the Ditrichaceae andCampylostelium venezuelanum toDicranella.     

Review of the Indo-Pacific gobiid fish genus Lubricogobius, with description of a new species and a new genus for L. pumilus

The gobiid genus Lubricogobius Tanaka, distinctive in being scaleless, without sensory pores, but with sensory papillae on the head, consists of three small species (largest, 33.7 mm SL): the yellow L. exiguus Tanaka, type species, from Japan, with probable records from Taiwan and New Caledonia; L. ornatus Fourmanoir, orange with blue lines on the head, described from Vietnam, recorded from the Arafura Sea, and the range here extended to the Timor Sea and Northwest Shelf of Western Australia, Ryukyu Islands, and to New Caledonia; and L. dinah, a new species from Papua New Guinea and the Ryukyu Islands, white dorsally and abruptly orange-yellow ventrally, with 10–11 dorsal soft rays. L. pumilus Larson and Hoese, known from one 14.5-mm specimen from off Somalia, is referred to the new genus Larsonella. The new genus differs from Lubricogobius in having scales posteriorly on the body, a more slender body, depressed head, no pelvic frenum, the snout longer than orbit diameter, and a different pattern of sensory papillae on the head. Received: September 30, 1999 / Accepted: June 9, 2000     

A review of the Holarctic genus Tmeticus Menge, 1868 (Araneae, Linyphiidae), with a description of a new genus

Eight species attributed to Tmeticus are reviewed; five are redescribed and illustrated: Tmeticus affinis (Blackwall, 1885), Tmeticus bipunctis (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906), Tmeticus nigriceps Kulczyński, 1916, Tmeticus ornatus (Emerton, 1914) and Tmeticus tolli Kulczyński, 1908. The new genus, Paratmeticus gen. n. is erected for Tmeticus bipunctis, and a new combination is established: Paratmeticus bipunctis (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906), comb. n. Three species names: Gongylidium vile Kulczyński, 1885, syn. n., Tmeticus difficilis Kulczyński, 1926, syn. n. and Tmeticus dubius Kulczyński, 1926, syn. n., are synonymized with Tmeticus tolli Kulczyński, 1908. Although Gongylidium vile has date priority over Tmeticus tolli it is synonymized because of the lack of usage. Three species from Japan attributed to Tmeticus: Tmeticus neserigonoides Saito & Ono, 2001, Tmeticus nigerrimus Saito & Ono, 2001 and Tmeticus vulcanicus Saito & Ono, 2001 are not related to Tmeticus affinis, the type species of the genus, and their affinities remain unclear. The male of Tmeticus nigriceps is described for the first time.     

Molecular phylogenetic evidence for paraphyly of the genus Sooglossus, with the description of a new genus of Seychellean frogs

The Seychelles harbour an endemic frog family, the Sooglossidae, currently containing two genera: Sooglossus , with three species, and Nesomantis , with one species. These unique frogs are generally considered to be basal neobatrachians, although their relationships to other neobatrachian taxa, except the Nasikabatrachidae, remain unresolved. Our molecular phylogeny based on a dataset consisting of fragments of the nuclear rag-1 and rag-2 genes, as well as mitochondrial 16S rRNA in representatives of the major neobatrachian lineages, confirmed the previously postulated Sooglossidae + Nasikabatrachidae clade and the placement of the South American Caudiverbera with the Australian Myobatrachidae, but did not further resolve the position of sooglossids. Our results do, however, unambiguously show sooglossids to be monophyletic but the genus Sooglossus to be paraphyletic, with the type species Sooglossus sechellensis being more closely related to Nesomantis thomasseti than to Sooglossus gardineri and Sooglossus pipilodryas , in agreement with morphological, karyological, and bioacoustic data. As a taxonomic consequence, we propose to consider the genus name Nesomantis as junior synonym of Sooglossus , and to transfer the species thomasseti to Sooglossus . For the clade composed of the species gardineri and pipilodryas , here, we propose the new generic name Leptosooglossus . A significant genetic differentiation of 3% was found between specimens of Sooglossus thomasseti from the Mahé and Silhouette Islands, highlighting the need for further studies on their possible taxonomic distinctness.   © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 91 , 347–359.     

The new genus Pheude (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Cossoninae) with description of a new species from mainland China

A new weevil, Pheude punctatus gen. et sp. n., of the tribe Dryotribini in Cossoninae, is described from Guangdong Province, South China. It differs from the related genera Dryotribus Horn and Microtribodes Morimoto in having antennae with seven articles and a distinct scutellum, and from Ochronanus Pascoe and Stenomimus Wollaston in having long antennae, a rostrum with a medio-longitudinal furrow beginning at the posterior margin of the eyes and extending approximately midway on the rostrum, and a moderately elevated, medio-longitudinal carina extending the full length of the pronotum. Other diagnostic characters and illustrations are provided. A key to the genera of Dryotribini known from China is given.     

The ant-parasitic genus Rhipipalloidea Girault (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae), with a description of a new species

The genus Rhipipalloidea Girault (1934 ), from the Australian region is revised. Rhipipalloidea gruberi Girault (1940 ) is synonymised with R. mira Girault 1934 . A new species, R. madangensis , is described from Papua New Guinea. This species is separated from R. mira from Australia by the distinct striation on the head, and ramose, 12-segmented antennae of the females. Males and a host for the genus are described for the first time.