Revision of the species of the Tychus rufus group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)

The species belonging to Tychus rufus group are revised. Eleven species are recognized, described and illustrated and a key to their identification is provided. Nine taxa are new to science: Tychus carpathius n. sp. from Karpathos island (Greece); T. torticornis n. sp. from Lesbos Island (Greece); T. pisidicus n. sp. and T. inermis n. sp. from southwestern Turkey; T. antiocheus n. sp. and T. effeminatus n. sp. from southeastern Turkey; T. artvinensis n. sp. from northeastern Turkey, and T. sidonicus n. sp. and T. libanus n. sp. from Lebanon.     

Three new species of the subgenus Parapenthecia from the Oriental Region (Diptera: Drosophilidae: Apenthecia)

Three new species of the subgenus Parapenthecia of the genus Apenthecia are reported from the Oriental Region: A. (P.) heterochaeta Chen and Toda, sp. nov. from Indonesia, and A. (P.) hispida Chen and Toda, sp. nov. and A. (P.) litongi Cao and Chen, sp. nov. from south China. Interestingly, the last species lacks a very peculiar character, the swollen or scale‐like orbital setae, which are commonly seen in all other species of the genus Apenthecia. A key to all species of the subgenus Parapenthecia is provided.     

Review of the East Asian species of the genera Hybrizon Fallén and Ghilaromma Tobias (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Hybrizontinae)

East Asian species of the genera Hybrizon and Ghilaromma are reviewed. Four species of Hybrizon, H. buccatus (Brébisson 1825), H. ghilarovi Tobias, 1988, H. juncoi (Ceballos 1957) and H. flavofacialis Tobias, 1988 and two species of Ghilaromma, G. orientalis Tobias, 1988 and G. ussuriensis Tobias, 1988, were recognized. H. ghilarovi was recorded from Korea, Japan and China, while H. juncoi was recorded from Korea, for the first time. The specimens recorded from Japan as G. fuliginosi (Wilkinson, 1930) by Watanabe (1984) are referred to G. orientalis herein. This species is newly recorded from Korea and Japan. Keys to East Asian species of Hybrizon and the world species of Ghilaromma are also provided.     

Generic revision of the New World tribe Hoplophorionini (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Membracinae)

Abstract. The tribe Hoplophorionini Goding, 1926, includes 105 species of treehoppers in 10 genera. All are apparently subsocial and lack mutualism with honeydew-collecting hymenopterans. In many species, parental investment in offspring is unique because of a specialized kicking defence (described herein) and construction of extra-ovipositional punctures in the host tissue through which nymphs feed. The tribe occurs from Canada to Chile, with most generic diversity in Central America but most species diversity near the equator. Three genera, Stalotypa Metcalf, Ramosella, new genus and Stirpis, new genus, are endemic to the Greater Antilles but do not constitute a monophyletic group; the first two genera appear most closely related to Turrialbia, new genus, from Costa Rica. Host plant specializations and other biological attributes are summarized for genera and species. A phylogenetic analysis of 23 hoplophorionine species produced 9 minimal-length cladograms that were similar in many respects. Potnia Stål appears to have retained the greatest number of ancestral features. Aposematic teneral coloration of adults probably evolved once. The modification of the ancestral kicking behaviour by the first hoplophorionines appears to have released them from a constraint on pronotal form. Diagnoses are given for adults of all genera and, when possible, for immatures. A key is presented for the 10 genera; three are described as New Genera based on the cladistic analysis: Ramosella, Stirpis, and Turrialbia. Three New Species are described: Ramosella thalli, Stirpis jamaicensis, and Turrialbia felina. The genus Micropepla Sakakibara is considered a junior synonym of Ochropepla Stal, New Generic Synonymy. Umbonia terribilis Walker is moved from synonymy under Alchisme virescens (Fairmaire) to a New Synonymy under Umbonia reducta Walker. The subspecies Platycotis vittata vittata (Fabricius), P. vittata lineata (Fairmaire), and P. vittata quadrivittata (Say) are returned to synonymy with Platycotis vittata (Fabricius), Reinstated Specific Synonymies. Three species are Reinstated as valid: Alchisme obscura (Walker) and A. veruta (Fowler), both from synonymy under A. turrita (Germar); and Umbonia reducta Walker, from synonymy under U. crassicomis (Amyot & Serville). Five New Combinations are proposed: Alchisme antigua (Funkhouser), referred from Umbonia; A. sordida (Germar), referred from Platycotis; A. sagittata (Germar), elevated from subspecific rank under Platycotis vittata; Ochropepla mourei (Sakakibara), referred from Micropepla; and Ramosella dominicensis (Ramos), referred from Platycotis. Platycotis nigrorufa (Walker), P. cornuta Plummer, P. salvini (Fowler), and P. fuscata (Fowler) were previously unplaced to subgenus; the first is referred to Platycotis (Lophopelta Stal) and the others to Platycotis (Platycotis Stål). Microschaema nigrostrigata Buckton is moved from synonymy under Alchisme recurva (Stål) to a New Synonymy under Ennya dorsalis (Fairmaire) of the tribe Polyglyptini, subfamily Smiliinae. A checklist with critical synonymies and indexes to hoplophorionine taxa and host plant associations are provided. Lectotypes are designated for Centrotus vittatus Fabricius, Hoplophora lineata Fairmaire, Membracis venosa Germar, Potnia affinis Buckton, and Triquetra obtusa Fowler.     

A revision of the Chinese Catops Paykull 1798 of the Catops fuscus species group (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae)

Five species of the Catops fuscus species group are reported from China. Three species are newly described: C. hlisnikovskyi n. sp. from the Beijing municipality and Jiangsu province, C. schuelkei n. sp. from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and C. smetanai n. sp. from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Female of C. sasajii Nishikawa 2007 is described and the species is reported from Hubei, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces for the first time. Catops nigricans (Spence 1813) is reported for the first time from China (Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region). Important morphological characters are illustrated and the distribution of all species in China is mapped. Preliminar phylogenetic analysis separates (C. hlisnikovskyi n. sp.+C. fuscus fuscus Panzer 1794) as a sister clade to C. nigricans+(C. sasajii+(C. schuelkei n. sp.+C. smetanai n. sp.)), with C. paramericanus Peck & Cook 2002 as outgroup.     

Cytogenetics of the hybrids of three members of the grasshopper genus Vandiemenella (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae: Morabinae)

Certain members of the grasshopper genus Vandiemenella (earlier referred to as the viatica group) form a group of chromosomally distinct taxa with contiguous distributions through south-eastern Australia. Meiosis of hybrids between three of the members that occur on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, was studied. The three members were the taxonomically undescribed form P24(XY) and two chromosomal races of V. viatica. Hybrids were either collected from narrow overlap zones (viatica ₁₉-viatica ₁₇, viatica ₁₉-P24 (XY), P24(XY)-vitica ₁₇) or were reared from grasshoppers collected from areas close to the overlap zones. — Chromosomal heterozygotes were found in all three overlap zones, but were frequent only in the overlap zone of P24(XY) and viatica ₁₇. Male chromosomal heterozygotes of P24(XY) and viatica ₁₉ and of viatica ₁₇ and viatica ₁₉ had abnormalities of meiosis, such as asynapsis (or desynapsis), which were generally associated with the chromosomes that distinguish the taxa. These abnormalities would be expected to lead to a reduction of fertility and so may contribute to reproductive isolation. Analysis of embryos from female heterozygotes of P24(XY) and viatica ₁₇ indicated that similar abnormalities of meiosis occurred in these females. Very few meiotic abnormalities, however, were seen in the corresponding male hybrids. The structurally different X chromosomes of female hybrids of P24(XY) and viatica ₁₇ were recovered in a distorted ratio in their embryos. The distortion was only slight and would not be expected to be of importance in the evolution of the group, particularly since the distortion favoured the original rather than the derived type of chromosome.     

Molecular phylogeny of the Western Palaearctic Cordulegaster taxa (Odonata: Anisoptera: Cordulegastridae)

Although Odonata are a key component of many freshwater ecosystems, their taxonomy and evolutionary history is still far from being well resolved. In the present study, we report the first molecular phylogeny for the Western Palaearctic Cordulegaster genus (Odonata: Anisoptera: Cordulegastridae). We sequenced fragments of both mitochondrial and nuclear genes [cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and Internal Transcribed Spacer‐1 (ITS‐1)] from eight species and 13 subspecies, from western, southern and central Europe, Turkey, and Morocco. Our data support the existence of two major groups corresponding to the traditional boltonii‐ and bidentata‐groups. Both groups are monophyletic based on COI sequences and the distinctiveness of Cordulegaster princeps, Cordulegaster trinacriae, Cordulegaster picta and Cordulegaster heros relative to Cordulegaster boltonii, and Cordulegaster helladica and Cordulegaster insignis relative to Cordulegaster bidentata, is confirmed. All species are also monophyletic for ITS‐1, with the exception of Cordulegaster helladica buchholzi, which shares the haplotype with C. insignis. Although moderate levels of genetic diversity were found within C. boltonii, there was no clear separation among the four subspecies, with the exception of the populations of Cordulegaster boltonii algirica from North Africa. Similarly, no genetic differentiation was found between the two subspecies of C. bidentata, Cordulegaster bidentata bidentata and Cordulegaster bidenta sicilica. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 111, 49–57.     

Three new species of mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae) from the Republic of Cape Verde

Leptus (Leptus) salicus sp. n. collected from unidentified Orthoptera, L. (L.) korneli sp. n. and Erythraeus (Erythraeus) capeverdensis sp. n. both collected from herbaceous plants from the Republic of Cape Verde are described.     

Phylogenetic systematics of the Empis (Coptophlebia) hyalea-group (Insecta: Diptera: Empididae)

Six clades are inferred from a phylogenetic analysis including 42 species belonging to the Empis (Coptophlebia) hyalea‐group. These clades are named as follows: E. (C.) acris, E. (C.) aspina, E. (C.) atratata, E. (C.) hyalea, E. (C.) jacobsoni and E. (C.) nahaeoensis. The presence of two dorsal more or less developed epandrial projections is considered autapomorphic for the E. (C.) hyalea‐group in addition to two characters previously found to support the monophyly of this group (presence of an unsclerotized zone in the middle of labella and epandrium unpaired). Amongst the cladistically analysed species, 24 are newly described [ E. ( C. ) acris , E. ( C. ) aspina , E. ( C. ) cameronensis , E. ( C. ) duplex , E. ( C. ) incurva , E. ( C. ) inferiseta , E. ( C. ) kuaensis , E. ( C. ) lachaisei , E. ( C. ) lamellalta , E. ( C. ) lata , E. ( C. ) loici , E. ( C. ) longiseta , E. ( C. ) mengyangensis , E. ( C. ) menglunensis , E. ( C. ) missai , E. ( C. ) nimbaensis , E. ( C. ) padangensis , E. ( C. ) parvula , E. ( C. ) projecta , E. ( C. ) pseudonahaeoensis , E. ( C. ) submetallica , E. ( C. ) urumae , E. ( C. ) vitisalutatoris and E. ( C. ) woitapensis ], five are reviewed [E. (C.) hyalea Melander, E. (C.) jacobsoni De Meijere, E. (C.) ostentator Melander, E. (C.) sinensis Melander and E. (C.) thiasotes Melander] and 13 were recently described in two previous papers. Two additional species, E. (C.) abbrevinervis De Meijere and E. (C.) multipennata Melander, are also reviewed but not included in the cladistic analysis since they are only known from the female. A lectotype is designated for E. (C.) jacobsoni. A key is provided to the six clades of the E. (C.) hyalea‐group as well as to species of each clade. A catalogue of the E. (C.) hyalea‐group, including 72 species, is given. The taxonomic status of 25 additional species mainly described by Bezzi and Brunetti, from the Oriental and Australasian regions, is discussed. The E. (C.) hyalea‐group is firstly recorded from the Palaearctic Region and Australia. Finally, the distribution and the habitats of the species compared with their phylogeny suggest a possible relationship between the diversification of the group and forest fragmentations during the Quaternary. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 145 , 339–391.     

Notes on the genus Inocybe of Japan: III

Six Inocybes are described and illustrated as new taxa or new records from Japan. A new species, Inocybe magnicarpa, is a member of section Marginatae. Two new varieties, I. malenconii var. cylindrata, a member of section Dulcamarae, and I. brunneorufa var. angusta, a representative of section Marginatae. Inocybe reisneri (section Rimosae) and I. fuscidula (section Tardae), are recorded as new to Japan. Inocybe pseudodestricta (section Tardae) is redescribed from a new locality (Chiba Prefecture). They are compared with similar taxa.     

The subfamily classification of the Micropezidae and the genera of Eurybatinae (Diptera: Schizophora)

The classification of the family Micropezidae is re-examined and a key is given to the five subfamilies now recognised, of which Calycopteryginae is described as new and Eurybatinae is raised from tribal rank. Metopochetini is a new tribe of Eurybatinae. A key is given to the nine genera now included in the Eurybatinae, of which Papeza is described as new. P.szentivanyi is a new species from Papua. Notes on the taxonomy and distribution of genera are included. The position of Anaeropsis Bigot in the Micropezidae is confirmed. New synonymies are established as follows: Crepidochetus Enderlein (= Gongylocephala Czerny syn. n.); Metopochetus bivittatus (Macquart) (= Calobata tenuipes Walker syn. n.). New generic combinations are as follows: Metopochetus terminalis (Walker) and M.compressus (Walker) from Calobata; Crepidochetus nigrifemur (Czerny), C.pallidus (Steyskal), and Cater (Steyskal) from Gongylocephala; Crosa fragilis (Walker) from Micropeza; Crosa nigriventris (Enderlein) and C.uneifera (de Meijere) from Eurybata.     

Flat-faced longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from the Neotropical region: new species from Ecuador,nomenclatural changes and notes

Summary

The differences between Anisopodus White, 1853 and Hyperplatys Haldeman, 1847 are discussed and the gender of the latter is corrected. Notes on Hyperplatys pusillus (Bates, 1863) are provided. Hyperplatys nigrisparsus is considered a new rank for H. pusillus nigrisparsus (Bates, 1885). This species is newly recorded from Brazil (Amazonas). Alcidion laetulum Bates, 1880 (currently Nealcidion laetulum), Alcidion costatum Monné & Martins, 1976 (currently Nealcidion costatum), and Nealcidion murinum Monné, 1998, are synonymized with Alcidion bispinum Bates, 1863 (currently Nealcidion bispinum). Anisopodus melzeri Gilmour, 1965 is transferred to Hyperplatys with a new record from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Notes on a second specimen of Confluentia colombiana (Gilmour, 1950) are provided. Three new species are described from Ecuador: Nealcidion kayi n. sp. (Acanthocinini), Hyperplatys pichinchensis n. sp. (Acanthocinini) and Confluentia quijos n. sp. (Colobotheini).     

One and the same: integrative taxonomic evidence that Bactrocera invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the same species as the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis

The invasive fruit fly Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White, and the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) are highly destructive horticultural pests of global significance. Bactrocera invadens originates from the Indian subcontinent and has recently invaded all of sub‐Saharan Africa, while B. dorsalis principally occurs from the Indian subcontinent towards southern China and South‐east Asia. High morphological and genetic similarity has cast doubt over whether B. invadens is a distinct species from B. dorsalis. Addressing this issue within an integrative taxonomic framework, we sampled from across the geographic distribution of both taxa and: (i) analysed morphological variation, including those characters considered diagnostic (scutum colour, length of aedeagus, width of postsutural lateral vittae, wing size, and wing shape); (ii) sequenced four loci (ITS1, ITS2, cox1 and nad4) for phylogenetic inference; and (iii) generated a cox1 haplotype network to examine population structure. Molecular analyses included the closely related species, Bactrocera kandiensis Drew & Hancock. Scutum colour varies from red‐brown to fully black for individuals from Africa and the Indian subcontinent. All individuals east of the Indian subcontinent are black except for a few red‐brown individuals from China. The postsutural lateral vittae width of B. invadens is narrower than B. dorsalis from eastern Asia, but the variation is clinal, with subcontinent B. dorsalis populations intermediate in size. Aedeagus length, wing shape and wing size cannot discriminate between the two taxa. Phylogenetic analyses failed to resolve B. invadens from B. dorsalis, but did resolve B. kandiensis. Bactrocera dorsalis and B. invadens shared cox1 haplotypes, yet the haplotype network pattern does not reflect current taxonomy or patterns in thoracic colour. Some individuals of B. dorsalis/B. invadens possessed haplotypes more closely related to B. kandiensis than to conspecifics, suggestive of mitochondrial introgression between these species. The combined evidence fails to support the delimitation of B. dorsalis and B. invadens as separate biological species. Consequently, existing biological data for B. dorsalis may be applied to the invasive population in Africa. Our recommendation, in line with other recent publications, is that B. invadens be synonymized with B. dorsalis.     

A review of the bee genus Augochlorella (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini)

Abstract. The New World halictid bee genus Augochlorella (Augochlorini) is revised. Sixteen species are recognized, with five described as new: Augochlorella acarinata sp. n., A. una sp. n., A. meridionalis sp. n., A. stenothoracica sp. n. from South America, and A. karankawa sp. n. from U.S.A. The following new synonymies are proposed: Augochlorella michaelis (Vachal) with A. urania (Smith), A. edendata Michener with A. comis (Vachal); A. striata (Provancher) with Augochlorella aurata (Smith) and A. neglectula maritima Ordway with A. neglectula (Cockerell). The female of A. tredecim (Vachal) and the male of A. iopoecila Moure are described for the first time. Keys to the species are provided. Cladistic analysis of adult morphological characters corroborates Engel's hypotheses of monophyly of Augochlorella phylogenetic relationships with related genera as follow: (Augochlorella ((Ceratalictus, Pereirapis) Augochlora)). Vicariant events shown in the cladistic analyses are discussed, and an account of distribution is presented.     

Cestodes of the family Dilepididae (Cestoda:Cyclophyllidea) from fish-eating birds in Mexico: a survey of species

A survey of adults of dilepidid tapeworms (Cyclophyllidea) from piscivorous birds from Mexico is presented on the basis of the taxonomic evaluation of freshly collected and voucher specimens. The following species are reported (first records from Mexico marked with an asterisk): Cyclustera capito (Rudolphi, 1819); ^* C. ibisae (Schmidt & Bush, 1972); ^* Dendrouterina ardeae Rausch, 1955; ^* D. herodiae Fuhrmann, 1912; ^* D. papillifera (Fuhrmann, 1908); Glossocercus auritus (Rudolphi, 1819); ^* Neogryporhynchus cheilancristrotus (Wedl, 1855); Paradilepis caballeroi Rysavy & Macko, 1973; Paradilepis sp.; Parvitaenia cochlearii Coil, 1955; and Valipora mutabilis Linton, 1927. Dendrouteria herodiae is reported from America for the first time. New definitive hosts are Phalacrocorax olivaceus for C. capito, N. cheilancristrotus and P. caballeroi; Casmerodius albus and Egretta thula for G. auritus; and E. thula for D. herodiae. Data on the morphology of the rostellar hooks of all species, their hosts and distribution in Mexico are provided.     

Molecular phylogeny of the tribe Bovini (Mammalia: Artiodactyla): alternative placement of the Anoa

Noncoding regions from the genes encoding aromatase cytochrome P450 and lactoferrin have been sequenced in ten bovine and one cervid species for an investigation of the evolutionary relationships within the tribe Bovini. The evolutionary rate of DNA-nucleotide alterations along the ancestral bovine lineage amounts to 0.38% per million years, as estimated from this combined 0.478-kb-single copy nuclear (scn) DNA sequence data set. Whereas rate homogenity is apparent within the Bovini, the relative rate test suggests that the boselaphine lineage (as represented by Boselaphus) has evolved at only about one third of the rate found within the Bovini. Consistent with other results, the scnDNA data provide evidence for (i) a monophyletic origin of the Bovini, (ii) a sister group position of the Boselaphini, and (iii) two different clades within the Bovini, the buffaloes (Bubalus and Syncerus) and the cattle (Bos/Bibos and Bison). Surprisingly, the results indicate very clearly that the enigmatic dwarf buffalo of Sulawesi Island (Anoa depressicornis) is most closely related to Boselaphus and that the divergence from the true Bovini occurred close to the base of bovine cladogenesis in the Middle Miocene (≈ 14—12 million years ago).     

Insights on the history of the scorched mussel Brachidontes rodriguezii (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the Southwest Atlantic: a geometric morphometrics perspective

Some authors support the idea that an important part of the Miocene marine mollusc fauna is still represented in the Argentinean Province. The fossil mollusc Brachidontes lepida (Philippi) is considered a subspecies of the extant B. rodriguezii (d?Orbigny), a taxon currently present in the Argentinean Biogeographic Province. The aim of this study is to investigate the shell shape relationship between B. lepida and B. rodriguezii using geometric morphometrics. Samples of B. rodriguezii (n = 63) from four localities distributed in Uruguay and Argentina, of B. lepida from the Paraná Formation (n = 26) and of two other extant Brachidontinae present in the region were included in this study. Canonical variate analyses showed that extant species differed in shell shape, with the discriminant function properly allocating 93% of the individuals to their respective species. Using the extant discriminant function, approximate 92% of B. lepida individuals were allocated to B. rodriguezii. This result suggests that B. lepida is more similar in shell shape to B. rodriguezii than to the other extant species present in the region. Considering the material from the Pliocene of Cerro Laciar and from the Pleistocene deposits of Buenos Aires and Bustamante, the presence of B. rodriguezii from the Late Miocene in the warm temperate region is discussed.     

Monogeneans from the gills of glassfishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Ambassidae) in India, with the proposal of Chandacleidus n. g. (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae)

Chandacleidus n. g. (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae) is proposed to include three species collected from the gills of Indian glassfishes (Ambassidae): Chandacleidus recurvatus (Jain, 1961) n. comb. (syn. Urocleidus recurvatus Jain, 1961) from Chanda nama and C. ranga (new host record) is redescribed; and Chandacleidus saiensis n. sp. and C. lucknowensis n. sp., both from Chanda nama and C. baculis, are described. Chandacleidus n. g. is characterised by species possessing: posteriorly united intestinal caeca; overlapping gonads (testis dorsal to ovary); a counterclockwise male copulatory organ; a grooved accessory piece; a dextro-marginal vaginal pore; a haptor with two lateral flaps and armed with dissimilar dorsal and ventral anchor/bar complexes and 14 similar hooks (dissimilar in size); and hook shanks comprised of two subunits.