Brachylepis gen. n.--a new genus of cestodes (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) from shrews in Siberia and the Far East

A new genus Brachylepis gen. n. hymenolepididean cestodes associated with common shrews (Sorex) in Siberia and Russian Far East is created. These genus includes three species removed from the genus Mathevolepis: Brachylepis morosovi (Karpenko, 1994) comb. n. (type species), B. sorextscherskii (Morosov, 1957) comb. n. and B. triovaria Karpenko, 1990) comb. n. The new genus is characterized by the gradual strobila with a little number of segments, unarmed scolex with apical glandular organ, by lack of internal seminal vesicle and differential seminal receptacle, by form of uterus as horse shoe in young worms and buble-like in mature worms. A tendency of inverse proportional dependence between the number of uterus segments in the strobila and the number of hexacanths in the uterus has been noticed. The table of differential characters for the species of the genus Brachylepis is proposed.     

Aploparaksis mackoi n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae), a parasite of the common snipe Gallinago gallinago (L.) from the Slovak Republic

Aploparaksis mackoi n. sp. is described from a charadriiform bird, Gallinago gallinago (L.), collected from the central Carpathian Region of the Slovak Republic. The new species differs from all previously known species of Aploparaksis Clerc, 1903 by having a very large conical cirrus with a maximum length up to 1.5 times the proglottis width. The species is characterised by 10 aploparaksoid hooks, 19 microm long, with long, thin blades. The position of the vitellarium, with respect to the ovary, varies within the same strobila from median to aporal.     

Description and phylogenetic relationships of Rodentolepis gnoskei n. sp. (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) from a shrew Suncus varilla minor in Malawi

Rodentolepis gnoskei n. sp. is described based on specimens obtained from a lesser dwarf shrew Suncus varilla minor collected in the Nyika National Park, Malawi. The new species is one of the smallest hymenolepidids known from African shrews and is morphologically closest to two other miniature hymenolepidids from African shrews, Staphylocystis loossi and S. khalili. The new species differs from both of them by a much smaller strobila size and fewer proglottids. The rostellar hooks in the new species are more numerous and smaller in size than in S. loossi. The rostellar hooks in R. gnoskei n. sp. are almost three times shorter than hooks in S. khalili. The hook shape in both S. loossi and S. khalili is substantially different from that in the new species. Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates that the new species is close to Rodentolepis fraterna, a parasite of rodents. The new species clearly differs from R. fraterna by the much shorter strobila, larger hooks, relatively longer cirrus sac, rate of proglottid development, the number of eggs per proglottid and parasitism in shrews. Although the new species fits the current diagnosis of Rodentolepis, its generic allocation is provisional and will likely be revised in the future because the type species of Rodentolepis, R. straminea, belongs to a different well supported clade. Thus, a new genus needs to be established for the lineage that includes R. fraterna and R. gnoskei n. sp. However, this systematic rearrangement is not recommended until Staphylocystis pistillum, the type species of Staphylocystis, is included in future phylogenetic analyses. Rodentolepis gnoskei n. sp. is the first tapeworm species reported from shrews in Malawi and the first species of cestode reported from S. varilla minor and any member of Suncus in Africa.     

New ommatids from the Late Jurassic of western Liaoning, China （Coleoptera： Archostemata）

A new genus Amblomma gen. nov. of fossil beetles is erected and can be assignedto the family Ommatidae because its two procoxal cavities are contiguous and the articulations of the abdominal ventrites are abutting. The new genus is similar to Zygadenia Handlirsch, 1906 (=Notocupes Ponomarenko, 1964), Tetraphalerus Waterhouse, 1901,Rhobdocupes Ponomarenko, 1966 and Sinocupes Lin, 1976, but can be distinguished from other genera according to the following characters: the second segment of antennae is shorterthan the third one in length; the posterior tarsi with the basal segment is obviously shorter than the three following taken together in length; the antennae reach the posterior ridge of prothroax in length, and the sides of the prothroax with serrulate margin. Four new species of the new genus are described and figured: Amblomma psilata gen. et sp. nov., Amblomma rudis gen. et sp. nov., Amblomma epicharis gen. et sp. nov., and Amblomma stabilis gen. etsp. nov. A key to species within this new genus is provided. All the specimens are collected from the Late Jurassic Yixian Formation of western Liaoning and are now housed in the College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.     

Allocreadium khankaiensis sp.nov. and Allocreadium hemibarbi Roitman, 1963 (Trematoda: Allocreadiidae) from the Russian Far East: Morphological,molecular, and phylogenetic studies

Three species of the genus Allocreadium were collected from cyprinid fish in the territory of the Russian Far East: Allocreadium khankaiensis sp.nov; Allocreadium hemibarbi Roitman, 1963, and Allocreadium sp. 1. It is established that, according to morphometric values, the species A. khankaiensis sp.nov. has high morphological similarity with Allocreadium elongatum Achmerov, 1960; Allocreadium erythroculteris Achmerov, 1960; and Allocreadium aburahaya Shimazu, 2003. However, A. khankaiensis sp.nov. differs from A. elongatum and A. erythroculteris by vitellaria extension and size of cirrus pouch. In addition, A. khankaiensis sp.nov. differs from A. erythroculteris by the smaller size of the body and ventral sucker. A. khankaiensis sp.nov. and A. aburahaya have similar metrical values but A. khankaiensis sp.nov. differs by the shape of the testes: rounded vs. lobed. Species affiliation of another Allocreadium species is based on the morphometric identity with the species A. hemibarbi. Phylogenetic tree reconstruction using partial sequences of the 28S rRNA gene revealed a clear resolution of all Allocreadium species, excluding Allocreadium lobatum and Allocreadium neotenicum. The genetic analysis detected Allocreadium sp. 1 as a presumably independent species from the Razdolnaya River basin.     

中国辽秃蝗属的分类研究及二新种记述（直翅目， 蝗总科， 斑腿蝗科， 秃蝗亚科）（英文）

记述了我国辽秃蝗属Liaopodisma 3个种, 包括2新种： 台中辽秃蝗Liaopodisma taichungensis sp. nov.和台湾辽秃蝗Liaopodisma taiwanensis sp. nov.。台中辽秃蝗L. taichungensis sp. nov.同千山辽秃蝗L. qianshanensis Zheng, 1990近似, 不同之处为黑色眼后带不明显, 前胸背板中隆线几乎不见, 雄性前翅长为宽的1.8倍, 雄性中胸腹板中隔向后渐宽大, 雄性后足胫节外侧具10刺。台湾辽秃蝗L. taiwanensis sp. nov.的后足股节下侧红色, 前翅中部不加宽且前、 后缘几乎平行, 可与本属其余2已知种区别。并附辽秃蝗属种检索表。     

A new cestode species Paranoplocephala gubanovi sp.n. (Cyclophyllidea: Anoplocephalidae) from the wood lemming Myopus schisticolor of eastern Siberia

A new species of anoplocephalid cestode, Paranoplocephala gubanovi sp. n. (Cyclophyllidea, Anoplocephalidae), from wood lemmings of Eastern Siberia (Myopus schisticolor) is described. The new species differs from other known species of Paranoplocephala associated with Holarctic lemmings by having unique combination of characters as follows: a few-segmented strobila, superficial suckers sticking out of the scolex, ovary covering practically the whole middle part of the segment, relatively little number of testicles situated in the aporal part of the segment, cirrus bursa crossing the poral excretory vessels, and subspherical spermatheca situated in the middle part of the segment. Comparison of P. gubanovi sp. n. and several closest species, P. fellmani Haukisaimi et Henttonen, 2001, P. serrata Haukisaimi et Henttonen, 2000, and P. arctica (Rausch, 1952) has been carried out. Features distinguishing the new species from Aprostatandrya macrocephala and A. microti have also been studied.     

A new species of Mathevotaenia (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) and other tapeworms from marsupials in Argentina

Cestodes are reported from Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840 and Micoureus cinereus Temminck, 1824 (Marsupialia: Didelphidae) in Argentina. These include a new species of Mathevotaenia Akhumyan, 1946 (Cestoda: Anoplocephalata) as well as M. bivittata (Janicki, 1904) and an unknown hymenolepidid cestode. Mathevotaenia argentinensis n. sp. is characterized by a relatively narrow strobila, 18-37 mm in total length and 1.0-1.5 mm in maximum width, 135-163 craspedote proglottids, 19-27 testes, and a muscular genital atrium. This species differs from M. didelphidis (Rudolphi, 1819) in the disposition of the genital ducts between the excretory canals and in the entrance of the vagina into the genital atrium posterior to the cirrus pouch; from M. paraguayae Schmidt and Martin, 1978 in the disposition of the genital ducts, absence of a seminal receptacle, and presence of an armed cirrus; and from M. boliviana Sawada and Harada, 1986 and M. pennsylvanica Chandler and Melvin, 1951 in the presence of an armed cirrus. Linstowiines appear to be the dominant cestodes in New World marsupials, with M. bivittata representing the most prevalent and widely distributed species. The hymenolepidid is the first record of this family in Neotropical marsupials.     

Calixolepis thuli n. g., n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) from the wood duck Aix sponsa (Anatidae) in America

Calixolepis thuli n. g., n. sp. is described and figured on the basis of the specimens from the wood duck Aix sponsa (L.) (Anseriformes: Anatidae) from Cuba and the USA. The tapeworm is characterised by: (1) strobila of medium size; (2) deep genital atrium; (3) external accessory sac; (4) unilateral genital pores, with female genital ducts situated anterior to male ducts; and (5) the following characteristic structure of the male and female terminal genitalia: the genital pouch has a stylet and a goblet-like structure, the calix; a cirrus is absent; and the thick-walled copulatory part of the vagina forms vaginal vestibule distally which may open through a vaginal papilla into the genital atrium. Other morphological structures indicate a relationship with species of the genus Sobolevicanthus Spasskii & Spasskaya, 1954 or with Cladogynia Baer, 1938 (Hymenolepididae). The differences between the tapeworms from Cuba and the USA suggest the possible occurrence of various morphological forms of Calixolepis.     

Monocercus dokuchaevi sp. n. (Cyclophyllidea: Dilepididae)--a new species of cestodes from shrews of the North-Eastern Asia

A new cestode species, Monocercus dokuchaevi sp. n. is described from shrews of the genus Sorex from the Middle Kolyma plateau (Magadan Province). The new species is most closer to M. soricis (Neiland, 1953) by having regular alteration of genital atriums in the short strobila (up to 10 mm only). The size of rostellar hooks in M. dokuchaevi is intermedial between those in M. soricis and M. arioni (Sibold, 1850). In Monocercus dokuchaevi, the length of rostellar hooks is 0.038-0.045 mm (average 0.045 mm), in M. arioni, average is 0.05 mm, in M. soricis, limits are 0.027-0.033 mm. Two other species of the genus, M. baicalensis Eltyshev, 1971 and M. estavarensis Euzet et Jourdan, 1968, have much longer rostellar hooks, 0.07-0.08 and 0.092-0.106 mm, respectively, whereas the genital atriums in these species are altered irregularly.     

Mathevolepis junlanae sp. n. (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae: Ditestolepidini), a new cestode species from shrews of Far East

Mathevolepis junlanae sp. n. from shrews (Sorex spp.) of Far East is described given. The new species occupies an intermediate position between the Palaearctic species M. petrotschenkoi Spassky, 1948 (total number of proglottids--4) and M. skrjabini (Sadovskaya, 1965) (10-12 segments in a series) by the number of synchronously developing proglottids (2-4). The new species differs from M. larbi Karpenko, 1982 by the structure and measurements of copulative apparatus in proglottids. In M. larbi, vagina S-shaped, vagina length 0.147-0.154 mm, cirrus length 0.146-0.149 mm, and cirrus bursa reaching aporal excretory vessels. M. junlanae sp. n. has cirrus bursa slightly crossing center line of sexually mature proglottids, cirrus about half as long (0.084-0.092 mm), and smaller sac-shaped vagina (0.075-0.10 mm). The new species differs from the Nearctic representative M. macyi (Locker and Rausch, 1952) by lesser measurements of cirrus bursa (0.12-0.14 mm versus 0.4 mm) and a fewer number of proglottids in series (2-4 versus 5-7).     

Australicola pectinatus n. gen. and n. sp. (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) from the deep-sea fish Beryx splendens from Tasmania

Australicola pectinatus n. gen., n. sp. (Pseudophyllidea: Triaenophoridae) is proposed to accommodate a new cestode from a deep-sea fish, the splendid alfonsino, Beryx splendens Lowe, 1834 (Beryciformes: Berycidae), from the Pacific coast of Tasmania. The new genus is placed in the Triaenophoridae, because it possesses a ventral uterine pore, marginal genital pore, and follicular vitellarium. Australicola is characterized by possessing a massive strobila with very short and wide, markedly craspedote proglottids; vitelline follicles forming a transverse equatorial band; a very deep and narrow genital atrium; a wide, convoluted vaginal canal; and unoperculate eggs. Australicola most closely resembles Eubothrium Nybelin, 1922 and Probothriocephalus Campbell, 1979 in having an unarmed scolex, an unarmed cirrus, the vagina anterior to the cirrus-sac, and cortical vitellaria. It differs from these 2 genera, in addition to the characteristics listed above, in possessing a dendritic rather than an entire ovary. Australicola pectinatus n. sp. is the third cestode described from B. splendens.     

中国台湾尼蝗属三新种及种检索表（直翅目, 蝗总科, 斑腿蝗科, 秃蝗亚科）(英文)

记述了中国台湾尼蝗属 Niitakacris Tinkham, 1936 的3新种。新种阿里山尼蝗 Niitakacris arishanensis sp. nov.后足股节内侧非红色和雄性尾须基部的最大宽度为端部宽度的4倍,可与本属所有已知种相区别。新种夏氏尼蝗 Niitakacris xiai sp. nov.与红胫尼蝗 N. rosaceanum 和台湾尼蝗 Niitakacris taiwanensis sp. nov.近似,不同之处为中胸腹板中隔的长度大于最狭处,前翅不到达腹部第1节背板后缘。新种台湾尼蝗 Niitakacris taiwanensis sp. nov.与红胫尼蝗 N. rosaceanum 近似, 不同之处为复眼较小,纵径为眼下沟长的1.4 倍;两尾片分开;肛上板基部纵沟较短,不到达中部,沟端圆,不尖。列出了尼蝗属全部5个种的检索表。     

A new species of tumbling flower beetles of the genus Mordellaria (Insecta: Coleoptera: Mordellidae) from the Baltic amber

The beetle Mordellaria friedrichi sp. nov. is described from the Baltic amber. The new species differs from extant species of the genus in the shape of the eyes and antennae and in the ratios of the length of the pygidium and length of the elytron, pronotum, and anal sternite.     

Paramunnidae (Grustaea: Isopoda: Asellota) from the Magellan Strait

Seven new species of Paramunnidae from the Magellan Strait are described, two of which are placed in new genera: Paramunna magellanensis sp. nov., P. menziesi sp. nov., P. parasimplex sp. nov., P. patagoniensis sp. nov., Allorostrata ovalis gen. et sp. nov., Austrosignum dentatum sp. nov., and Magellianira serrata gen. et. sp. nov. Four known paramunnid species from the same location are redescribed: Parammunna integra, P. simplex, P. subtriangulata and Munnogonium tillerae . While investigating the genus Paramunna , two species of this group, Acutomunna foliacea (Chardy, 1975) gen. nov. and Paramunna foresti Carvacho , 1977 were removed, which involved the erection of a new genus. The allocation of P. foresti remains uncertain. Some diagnostic characters of the Paramunnidae and a key to the Magellanic species of Paramunna are presented.     

Species of Oswaldella Stechow, 1919 (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from recent antarctic expeditions with R. V. 'Polarstern', with the description of eight new species

Twelve species of the genus Oswaldella Stechow have been studied, eight of which are new to science [Oswaldella delicata sp. nov., O. encarnae sp. nov., O. garciacarrascosai sp. nov., O. gracilis sp. nov., O. grandis sp. nov., O. incognita sp. nov., O. obscura sp. nov. and O. rigida sp. nov.], originating from the Weddell Sea and collected by several antarctic expeditions with R.V. Polarstem. Each is described and figured, its systematic position is considered and current data concerning its autecology and geographical distribution are given. Finally, a comparative table is presented including the principal features of all known species of the genus.