A new skink species (Oligosoma taumakae sp. nov.; Reptilia: Scincidae) from the Open Bay Islands,New Zealand

Abstract

We describe a new skink species (Oligosoma taumakae sp. nov.) from the Open Bay Islands, New Zealand. This species is diagnosed on the basis of several morphological characteristics, and its specific status is supported by mitochondrial sequence data (ND2, ND4). The new species appears to be most closely related to O. acrinasum, O. infra‐punctatum, O. otagense and O. waimatense. The new taxon appears to be rare and endemic to the island of Taumaka in the Open Bay Islands (off the west coast of the South Island). Predation by a flightless rail (weka, Gallirallus australis), native to New Zealand but introduced to the Open Bay Islands, is a major conservation concern.     

A new species of Hymenolepis (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) from the New Zealand long‐tailed bat,Chalinolobus tuberculatus

Hymenolepis chalinolobi n. sp. is described from the small intestine of the New Zealand long‐tailed bat, Chalinolobus tuberculatus (Forster, 1844). The tapeworm is distinguished by its small size (16–19 mm), 23 hooks, and the shape of the ovary and testes.     

Nacobbodera chitwoodi,n. gen., n. sp., (Nacobbidae:Nematoda) on Douglas Fir in Oregon

Nacobbodera chitwoodi, n. gen., n. sp., representing Nacobboderinae n. subfam, in the Nacobbidae, is described and illustrated from roots of Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii near Florence Oregon. This new species, having characters common to Nacobbidae, Heteroderidae, and Meloidogynidae, appears to represent a connecting link between these three families of the Heteroderoidea. Especially, a distinct tail on swollen adult females, vermiform shape of juvenile females, and the shape and sclerotization of the head of the various stages, indicate a Nacobbidae relationship. Certain other characteristics present in this new species are of the Heteroderidae and Meloidogynidae type as follows: Gross shape of adult female in posterior half of body, two ovaries, anterior position of excretory pore as in Meloidogyne females, absence of a bursa, and development of male within a sausage-shaped cuticle as in root-knot and cyst nematodes.     

Praealbonemertes whangateaunienses n. gen. and n. sp., a new heteronemertean from New Zealand

Abstract

A new genus and species of heteronemertean, Praealbonemertes whangateaunienses n. gen. and n. sp., is described and illustrated. The species is characterised by inter alia a cephalic lacuna with strands of longitudinal muscle fibres, a proboscis with three muscle layers, and a well-developed muscle plate dorsal to the foregut and anterior intestine. The material was collected in New Zealand.     

Notogaeanemertes folzae gen. n., sp. n., an additional ecologically restricted hoplonemertean from New Zealand

Notogaeanemertes folzae gen. n., sp. n., a monoecious and ovoviviparous hoplonemertean, is described from the supra-littoral at Kaikoura, New Zealand. It shares more characters with group I terrestrial nemerteans than with group II which brings into question the significance of certain features in the systematics of semiterrestrial/terrestrial nemerteans.     

New species of Euptyctima (Acari,Oribatida) from New Zealand

Abstract

Oribotritia contortula n. sp., O. contraria n. sp., O. teretis n. sp., Rhysotritia bifurcata n. sp., Microtritia contraria n. sp., M. glabrata n. sp., Hoplophthiracarus bisulcus n. sp., Austrophthiracarus pulchellus n. sp., and Notophthiracarus claviger n. sp. are described from New Zealand.

The genera of Oribotritia Jacot, Rhysotritia Märkel & Meyer, Hoplophthiracarus Jacot, and Austrophthiracarus Balogh & Mahunka are new records for New Zealand.     

Description of Dolichodorus grandaspicatus n. sp. (Nematoda: Dolichodoridae)

Dolichodorus grandaspicatus n. sp., collected from soil about roots of a red maple (Acer rubrum L.) in a creek bottom near Ludwig. Johnson County, Arkansas, is described. It differs from two closely related species, D. marylandicus and D. heterocephalus, by the longer spike on the female tail, the lenght of the female tail, and the shape of the extrudable portion of the gubernaculum of the males. It further differs from D. marylandicus by having heavily sclerotized accessory pieces of the vuvla and from D. heterocephalus by having a shorter stylet.     

Zelandoperla maungatuaensis sp. n. (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae), a new flightless stonefly species from Otago,New Zealand

ABSTRACT

A new wing-reduced species of the stonefly genus Zelandoperla Tillyard is described from Otago, New Zealand. Zelandoperla maungatuaensis sp. n. differs from a related species, Z. denticulata, primarily by lacking full wing development. We used morphological, geographical, and genetic evidence to assess the proposed status of Z. maungatuaensis sp. n. and Z. denticulata as separate monomorphic species, as opposed to conspecific members of a polymorphic species. High genetic divergence was found between distinctly allopatric populations, supporting the status of Z. maungatuaensis sp. n. as a distinct monomorphic species.     

Meloidogyne aquatilis n. sp (Nematoda:Meloidogynidae) from Spartina pectinata with a Key to the Canadian Species of Meloidogyne

A new root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne aquatilis n. sp., attacking the roots of Spartina pectinata Link growing in the Ottawa River is described and illustrated. Meloidogyne aquatilis is distinguished from M. graminis by the light brown body color and by the absence of perineal lateral fields in the female. The male differs by the shorter stylet and by the hemizonid being separated by 7-9 annules from the excretory pore. The second-stage juveniles are also recognized by the 7-9-annule gap between the hemizonid and excretory pore and by the shorter tail with a disc-like subterminal tail structure, lower b ratio value, and inflated rectum. A key to the root-knot nematode species of Canada based on females, males, and juveniles is provided. The type host of Dolichodera fluvialis Mulvey and Ebsary, 1980, Spartina pectinata Link, is reported for the first time.     

Description of Pratylenchoides sheri n. sp. (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae)

Pratylenchoides sheri n. sp., a bisexual species from the Pacific coastal area of California, is described and illustrated. Its most distinctive characters are the esophageal glands slightly overlapping the intestine dorsally, the large ventrally slanting esophago-intestinal valve, the lack of labial sectors in the first lip annule, the presence of males, and apparently functional spermatheca. Pratylenchoides sheri is morphologically similar to P. magnicauda, but differs in length and labial conformation, its more anterior vulva, and the presence of males. Relationships of head and esophagus gland lobe characters of P. sheri are compared to other Pratylenchoides species.     

Description of Pararotylenchus belli n.sp. (Nematoda:Hoplolaimidae)

A new species of Pararotylenchus Baldwin &Bell, 1981 from the Pacific coastal area of California is described. Numerous females and juveniles were recovered, but no males were found. Pararotylenchus belli n.sp. is most similar to P. sphaerocephalus, but females of P. belli are shorter and have a shorter stylet and a hemispherical tail. Specimens from a cereal field in South Dakota were identified as P. colocaudatus.     

Longidorus orongorongensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from subsoil of conifer/broadleaved forest

Abstract

Longidorus orongorongensis n. sp. is bisexual and recognisable from its large size (adults over 6 mm long), long odontostyle (145-172 μm), bluntly conoid lip region continuous with the body contour and especially by the posteriorly placed guide ring more than 60 μm from the oral aperture; also the female has a bluntly rounded tailless than an anal body width long. The first stage juvenile has a bluntly rounded tail. Juveniles and adults from one site below virgin forest are described.     

Porphyra lilliputiana sp. nov. (Bangiales, Rhodophyta): A diminutive New Zealand endemic with novel reproductive biology

A new species of Porphyra, Porphyra lilliputiana, is described for the New Zealand region. This species is very small ([5] 10–20 [35] mm) and is found growing epiphytically, epilithically and epizoically on upper inter-tidal shores of moderate exposure. Field-collected material of P. lilliputiana possessed archeosporangia, endosporangia, spermatangia and zygotosporangia. In culture, archeospores vi/ere released and germinated to form thalli. Endosporangia either developed directly into thalli or released endospores which individually formed thalli. Zygotospores developed into the concho-celis phase, which formed conchosporangia. Released conchospores formed thalli. This species is distinguished by its small size, arrangement of reproductive cells, occurrence of endosporangia, dentate margin and habitat.     

Chilocoris neozealandicus,a new species of burrowing bug from New Zealand (Heteroptera: Cydnidae)

Abstract

The Old World cydnid genus Chilocoris Mayr is recorded from the Australasian region for the first time. A key is provided separating Chilocoris from Centrostephus Horvath and Parachilocoris Horvath. A new species, Chilocoris neozealandicus, is described from New Zealand, along with habitus drawing and illustrations of diagnostic characters.     

Progamotaenia ruficola sp. n. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) from the red kangaroo, Macropus rufus (Marsupialia)

Progamotaenia ruficola sp. n. is described from the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) from New South Wales, Australia. It is distinguished from other similar species having paired, nondiverticulate uteri in each prolottis: Progamotaenia festiva (Rudolphi 1819), P. diaphana (Zschokke 1907), and P. macropodis Beveridge 1976, by the extremely broad, straight-edged velum, the lack of an external seminal vesicle, the cirrus armature, the number of testes, the lack of vaginal atrophy following insemination, and the morphology of the egg.     

Deladenus valveus n. sp. (Nematoda: Neotylenchidae) in Dunnage Wood from South Korea Intercepted in Ningbo,China

Deladenus valveus n. sp., isolated from packaging wood originated from South Korea and intercepted in Ningbo, P.R. China, is described and illustrated. Both mycetophagous and infective forms were recovered and are described. The new species D. valveus n. sp. resembles other Deladenus species in which the excretory pore is situated anterior to the hemizonid: in mycetophagous females, the excretory pore is 59 to 74 μm from the anterior end and 37 to 54 μm anterior to the hemizonid. The new species is characterized by the presence of a distinct valve at the esophago-intestinal junction in mycetophagous females and by a degenerate esophagus in mycetophagous males, both of which characters are reported for the first time in a species of Deladenus.     

Clavaptera ornata n.gen. et sp., a new genus and species of Carventinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) from Northland,New Zealand

Abstract

Clavaptera ornata gen. et sp. n. from leaf-litter from North Cape, Northland, New Zealand, is described and figured. This new genus falls within Group 1 of the Carventinae as proposed by Usinger & Matsuda (1959), and shares some characteristics of Carventaptera and Neocarventus, but it is readily distinguished from these genera by the medial fusion of the mesothorax and metathorax and the presence of a large hexagonal median prominence in the region of fusion. The holotype male was collected in leaf-litter near Serpentine access road, 4 miles from Spirits Bay road and the allotype from the Tapotupotu Stream area, at the base of Cape Reinga.     

Description of Distolabrellus veechi n. gen., n. sp. (Nematoda:Rhabditidae)

A new, monotypic genus and species in the subfamily Mesorhabditinae is described and illustrated. The primary character which separates the species and genus from all others in the Rhabditidae is a lip region with six set-off and well-separated liplets of two alternating shapes. Other diagnostic characters are transverse and fine longitudinal body striations, cuticular micropores, a prismatic prostom, well-developed esophageal collar, and three denticles on each metarhabdion. Males have a peloderan, open bursa bearing two pre- and seven post-anal bursal papillae, fused spicules over 50 μm long, and paired diverticulate cement glands associated with the vas deferens.     

Rhododrilus sexpapillatus n.sp. (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from New Zealand

Abstract

A new earthworm species belonging to the acanthodriline genus Rhododrilus is described from the North Island of New Zealand, elevating the generic total (excluding Australian forms) to 30 species. The new taxon forms part of the species-group with incomplete fusion of the male and prostatic terminalia. Its most closely related congener is the geographically proximate R. papaensis. Though exhibiting great heterogeneity, suggestive of polyphyly, the genus remains taxonomically convenient. It probably encompasses convergent forms, the ancestral affinities of which may never be ascertained.