Antennal sensilla of the click beetle,Melanotus villosus (Geoffroy) (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

The typology, number and placement of antennal sensilla of the click beetle Melanotus villosus (Geoffroy) (Coleoptera: Elateridae) were studied using scanning electron microscopy. On both the males and females the antennae are made up of the scape, pedicel and nine flagellomeres. Two types of basiconic sensilla, three types of trichoid sensilla, one type of styloconic sensilla, one type of chetoid sensilla, dome-shaped sensilla, grooved pegs, and Böhm sensilla all appear on the antennae of the beetles of both sexes, with the exception of trichoid sensilla type II, whose large number (average of 1635 hairs per antenna) was found only in male beetles. Sensilla trichodea type II evidently respond to the sex pheromone produced by the female beetle. Unlike the other two click beetles, studied up till now, Agriotes obscurus and Limonius aeruginosus, the trichoid and basiconic sensilla of M. villosus, whose proven or assumed function is olfactory, are located predominantly on the flagellomeres ventral extensions. It is assumed that the placement of the olfactory sensilla, mainly on the ventral side of M. villosuss antennae, and their more or less even distribution on the flagellomeres, can be seen as morphological adaptation of this species of insect, whose specific behavioural reaction of olfactory searching is flying, both before and after contact with an odour plume.     

A new species of Platydracus Thomson, 1858 (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) from the upper Eocene Florissant beds,Colorado, USA

Platydracus breviantennatus n. sp., is described and figured based on an impression fossil from the upper Eocene Florissant beds of Colorado, the United States. Based on the large and densely setose body, relatively small eyes, and robust mandibles (right mandible seemingly with one simple preapical tooth), tibiae and antennae, the new species is placed in the modern genus Platydracus Thomson, 1858. It differs from other species of Platydracus by its large body, small head, and distinctly short antennae.     

The arthropodsmimetaster andvachonisia from the devonian hunsrück shale

A combined X-ray/surface study ofMimetaster andVachonisia has revealed several new features.Mimetaster has a head with stalked eyes and ocelli, a ventral organ, a large labrum, and two pairs of strong uniramous legs revealing muscle strands. The body carries up to more than 30 pairs of bifid appendages.Vachonisia, without visible eyes, appears to have three pairs of walking legs on the head. Two pairs of structures directed towards the mouth may be strong endites or discrete manipulating appendages. The body carries about 80 pairs of appendages, which are bifid and similar to those of Mimetaster. Both arthropods have one pair of antennae.Mimetaster seems to have been a deposit feeder,Vachonisia a carnivore or raptator. The former was related toMarrella, and these two probably toVachonisia, all of which may have been distantly related to the trilobite-chelicerate group.     

Morphological cranial diversity contributes to phylogeny in soft-furred sengis (Afrotheria, Macroscelidea)

Despite the well-supported Macroscelidea phylogeny proposed at the end of the 1960s, several systematic arrangements have been suggested in the last 20 years, raising doubts about the phylogeny of the Macroscelidinae; sengi inter-specific relationships are still debated to this day. The main issue of concern involves the supposed Elephantulus diphyly. To solve this persisting debate about sengi phylogeny, we examined the cranium ventral surface of 13 species using geometric morphometric techniques and neighbour-joining algorithms. This study supported the idea that the ventral side of the sengi cranium has the potential to provide important signals for reconstructing the Macroscelidea phylogeny. The phylogenetic signals seemed to differentiate between two major clades in the sengi radiation. In the first clade, the two monospecific genera (Petrodromus and Macroscelides), the two African Horn species (Elephantulus revoilii and E. rufescens), and the only North African species (E. rozeti) were clustered together. The second clade includes the remnant south-central African Elephantulus species. Our results were in agreement with both mitochondrial and nuclear data, confirmed that there is no Elephantulus monophyly and highlighted the close relationship between Petrodromus and E. rozeti. It appears that all the soft-furred sengi species are organised in two evolutionary lines: an old monophyletic clade, comprising only Elephantulus species, and a new polyphyletic clade, including P. tetradactylus, M. proboscideus, and E. rozeti. This requires a taxonomic and nomenclatural rearrangement within Macroscelidinae, where the phylogenetic position of the remnant 4 (of 12) Elephantulus species has yet to be fully defined.     

First fossil record of Brachyptera (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae) in Eocene Baltic amber

The extant taeniopterygid genus Brachyptera Newport, 1848 is reported from the Eocene Baltic amber for the first time. A new species, Brachyptera dewalti n. sp. (Plecoptera: Taeniopterygidae), is described and illustrated based on a well-preserved female in the amber, distinguished by the presence of three well-developed ocelli, the dark color of antennae, maxillary palps, head, prothorax, and abdominal segments, the CuA vein of forewing with three branches, the nearly rhombus, dark brown postgenital plate, and the four-segmented cerci. It is the fourth taeniopterygid species known from the Baltic amber.     

Do Decapod Crustaceans Have Nociceptors for Extreme pH?

Background

Nociception is the physiological detection of noxious stimuli. Because of its obvious importance, nociception is expected to be widespread across animal taxa and to trigger robust behaviours reliably. Nociception in invertebrates, such as crustaceans, is poorly studied.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Three decapod crustacean species were tested for nociceptive behaviour: Louisiana red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), and grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.). Applying sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, or benzocaine to the antennae caused no change in behaviour in the three species compared to controls. Animals did not groom the stimulated antenna, and there was no difference in movement of treated individuals and controls. Extracellular recordings of antennal nerves in P. clarkii revealed continual spontaneous activity, but no neurons that were reliably excited by the application of concentrated sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid.

Conclusions/Significance

Previously reported responses to extreme pH are either not consistently evoked across species or were mischaracterized as nociception. There was no behavioural or physiological evidence that the antennae contained specialized nociceptors that responded to pH.     

Lithobius (Monotarsobius) zhangi sp. n., a new species from Eastern China (Chilopoda,Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae)

Lithobius (Monotarsobius) zhangi sp. n. (Lithobiomorpha: Lithobiidae), recently discovered from Nanshan Park, Yantai City, Shandong Province, and Wuyishan County, Nanping City, Fujian Province, from China, is described. Morphologically it resembles Lithobius (Monotarsobius) songi Pei, Ma, Shi, Wu, Zhou, 2011 from Province Hebei, China, but can be readily distinguished from the latter by antennae composed of 15+15–19+19 articles versus 19+19–21+21 articles, terminal claw of female gonopods inner tooth broader than the outer vs dorsal and ventral tooth about same in size, ventral plectrotaxy 01320, dorsal plectrotaxy 10210 in the 14th legs, 01210 and 10200 respectively in Lithobius (Monotarsobius) songi. A key to the Lithobius (Monotarsobius) species of China and Korea is presented.     

Three Echinostome Species from Wild Birds in the Republic of Korea

Three echinostome species, i.e., Patagifer bilobus, Petasiger neocomense, and Saakotrema metatestis, are newly recorded in the trematode fauna of the Republic of Korea. They were recovered from 3 species of migratory birds (Platalea minor, Podiceps cristatus, and Egretta garzetta), which were donated by the Wildlife Center of Chungbuk (WCC) and the Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife (CGRB). Only 1 P. bilobus specimen was recovered from the intestine of a black-faced spoonbill (P. minor), and characterized by the bilobed head crown with a deep dorsal incision and 54 collar spines. Twenty P. neocomense were recovered from the intestine of a great crested grebe (P. cristatus), and they had a well-developed head crown with 19 spines and 2 testes obliquely located at the posterior middle of the body. Total 70 S. metatestis were collected from the bursa of Fabricius of 1 little egret (E. garzetta). It is characterized by stout tegumental spines covered in the entire leaf-shaped body, posterior extension of the uterus, presence of the uroproct and a well-developed head crown with 12 pairs of collar spines on each side. By the present study, these 3 echinostome species are newly added to the trematode fauna in Korea.     

Sensilla on the mouthparts and antennae of the elephant louse,Haematomyzus elephantis piaget (Phthiraptera: Haematomyzidae)

The labial palpus of the elephant louse Haematomyzus elephantis has six sensilla that represent three different types: trichoid, basiconic, and styloconic. Two rows of basiconic sensilla are situated on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the rostrum, and each row consists of three sensilla. Male and female antennae have 15–17 trichoid sensilla situated on the scape, pedicel, and three antennal annuli. Both sexes have two sensilla basiconica on the dorsal surface of the pedicel near the junction of the scape and pedicel. Two coeloconic (tuft) sensilla are situated on the antennae of both sexes, one sensillum on each of the last two annuli. There are three plate organs, two on the last annulus and one on the penultimate annulus of the male and female antennae. Sexual dimorphism is exhibited in the male and female antennae, in that the male has about twice as many sensilla basiconica on the apex of the last annulus as does the female. The total number of sensilla basiconica on the apex of the male antennae is at least two times the number that is known to be present in any other species of lice. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

ZFC/FC of oriented magnetic material in the Solenopsis interrupta head with antennae: Characterization by FMR and SQUID

Ferromagnetic resonance and SQUID magnetometry have been used to study magnetic material in the head with antennae, thorax, and abdomen of Solenopsis interrupta ants. The temperature dependence of the head with antennae using both techniques was measured. Room-temperature spectra and saturation magnetization were used to compare the magnetic material amount in the ant body parts. Both techniques show that the highest magnetic material fraction is in the head with antennae. The ordering temperature is observed at 100 ± 20 K for the ferromagnetic resonance spectra HF component. The estimated magnetic anisotropy constant K and g-values at room temperature are in good agreement with magnetite, supporting this material as the main magnetic particle constituent in the Solenopsis interrupta head with antenna. Particle diameters of 26 ± 2 nm and smaller than 14 nm were estimated. This work suggests that the head with antenna of the Solenopsis interrupta ant contains organized magnetic material and points to it as a good candidate as a magnetic sensor.     

A comparative study on the tubes and feeding behaviour of eight species of corophioid Amphipoda and their bearing on phylogenetic relationships within the Corophioidea

Observations are presented on mouthpart functional morphology, and on feeding, grooming and defaecatory behaviour of eight species of corophioid Amphipoda, viz. Corophium bonnellii, Lembos websteri, Aora gracilis, A. spinicornis, Gammaropsis nitida, Ericthonius punctatus, Jassa falcata and J. marmorata. These data are considered in relation to tube structure and amphipod posture in relation to the tube. All these species occupy double-ended cylindreical tubes made from ''amphipod silk'' secreted by the third and fourth preraeopods, incorporating sediment and other debris to varying degrees. Uniquely among this set of species, however, E. punctatus has a tube that is architecturally distinct. It tapers along its length and has a distinctive oblique main entrance at its widest end. This end is used preferentially. The other species studied use either opening with equal facility. Such a feature is adaptive in facilitating deployment of the antennae and shielding the head of E. punctatus.Two groupings of species are propose: group A which feed inside their tube using pleopod-induced through-tube currents, and group B which feed outside or at the entrance to their tube using external water currents. Group A includes C. bonnellii, L. websteri and the Aora species. Group B includes E. punctatus and the Jassa species. Gammaropsis nitida exhibits traits from both groups, adding weight to its perceived status as a genus representative of the stem corophioid. The ischyrocerid habit of externalizing food-gathering may be regarded as the first step along an evolutionary line leading to the rod-building podocerid types and ultimately towards the caprellids. All species examined show a degree of flexibility in their feeding habits which helps to explain the success of this taxon, which has radiated into a great diversity of aquatic biotopes.     

Taxonomic revision of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Equulites elongatus</Emphasis> (Günther 1874) species group (Perciformes: Leiognathidae) with the description of a new species

Taxonomic analysis of a group of morphologically similar and phylogenetically related ponyfishes (Perciformes: Leiognathidae) establishes the Equulites elongatus species group comprising three valid species: Equulites aethopos sp. nov., currently known only from southern Red Sea; Equulites elongatus (Günther 1874), known from northern Australia, Indonesia and Myanmar; and Equulites popei (Whitley 1932), known from Japan, Philippines, Malaysia (Sabah), Thailand (Gulf of Thailand), Oman, the Red Sea, and Mozambique. Although E. popei has previously been regarded as a junior synonym of E. elongatus, the present mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed that these two nominal species are different and that they constitute a monophyletic group separate from other species of Equulites. The E. elongatus species group can be defined by the following of characters: slender body (20–30% in standard length), deeply incised posterior margin of the adipose eyelid, and ventral surface of breast completely scaly. Equulites aethopos sp. nov. differs from the other two species in having smaller eyes (eye diameter 53–68% of postorbital head length vs. 78–137%) and tips of neural and hemal spines of the fourth preural centrum distinctly expanding (vs. slightly expanding). Equulites elongatus is distinguished from E. popei by: scales above and below the lateral line 5–9 and 9–14, respectively (vs. 8–13 and 12–19), anus anteriorly located (distance from the pelvic-fin insertion to the center of anus 30–42% of the distance from the pelvic-fin insertion to the anal-fin origin vs. 35–50%), and more numerous dorsolateral dark marks (1–9 ring marks and 0–14 dark spots smaller than a half of pupil diameter vs. 0–2 and 0–5).     

Sperm ultrastructure in representatives of six bivalve families from Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan

The ultrastructure of sperm in seven species of bivalves, the representatives of six families, Arcidae (Anadara broughtonii, Arca boucardi), Anomiidae (Pododesmus macrochisma), Tellinidae (Macoma tokyoensis), Ostreidae (Crassostrea gigas), Myidae (Mya japonica) and Trapezidae (Trapezium liratum) is described. All the studied sperm were typical tail sperm, adapted to external insemination, which, however, had a specific structure. Differences were revealed in the form of head, acrosome structure and number of mitochondria. The studied species of the above families had their specific morphology, the Arcidae species had a bullet- or barrel-shaped head with four or five mitochondria in the middle part; the Anomiidae had conic head, the acrosome with periacrosome material and four mitochondria (a basic feature of sperm is the axial core entering periacrosome material and consisting of bundle of actin filaments); the Myidae had a curved conic head and four mitochondria; in the Tellinidae the head was bullet-shaped, the periacrosome material contained a fibril component and four mitochondria; the Trapezidae had sperm of a conic form with spherical acrosome. The spherical sperm of C. gigas were similar to sperm of Saccostrea commercialis and Crassostrea virginica, but with some distinctions in the acrosome substructure. The morphology of sperm testified to the correct attribution of the Crassostreidae family as a synonym to the Ostreidae family.     

An electrophoretic investigation of six species of darters in the subgenus Catonotus

The electrophoretic patterns of lactate dehydrogenase, phosphoglucomutase and total muscle proteins distinguished the species Etheostoma flabellare, E. kennicotti and E. squamiceps from each other and from three species of the E. virgatum group (E. virgatum, E. obeyense and E. barbouri), which all possessed identical patterns. Etheostoma flabellare, the species with the widest geographic range, possessed the greatest amount of genetic variation in all three protein systems studied. Patristic distances were calculated via an unrooted Wagner network. Using this method it was shown that E. flabellare was the most divergent species, E. kennicotti and E. squamiceps were less divergent, and the members of the E. virgatum group clustered closely.     

Antennal sensilla of whiteflies: Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), the glasshouse whitefly,Aleyrodes proletella (Linnaeus), the cabbage whitefly,and Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), the tobacco whitefly (Homoptera : Aleyrodidae). Part 1: External morphology

Scanning electron microscopy has revealed the detailed structure of the antennae of three species of whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, Aleyrodes proletella, and Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera : Aleyrodidae). All 3 species have microtrichia and 5 types of sensilla on the antennae: chaetica, campaniform, basiconic, coeloconic, and pegs with digitate tips, the latter 3 of these being unique to the flagellum. The number and distribution of the sensilla unique to the flagellum vary among the species studied. The cuticle of the basiconic and the coeloconic sensilla is pitted and grooved, respectively, a prerequisite for an olfactory and/or a thermo-, hygroreceptive function. A sexual dimorphism does occur with respect to the position of the basiconic sensilla on flagella segment 5 of A. proletella, but not T. vaporariorum or B. tabaci.     

Nahecaris stuertzi,a phyllocarid crustacean from the Lower Devonian Hunsrück Slate

Restudy ofNahecaris based on new stereo radiographs and re-examination of actual specimens has added the following new information.Nahecaris ranges in shape from long and slender to short and stout, the carapace from deep and rounded to long and narrow. Carapace ornament consists either of thin ridges parallel to the ventral border or inclined rows of irregular lines or cusps, but these characters cannot be consistently correlated with other variables to permit definition of separate species. The carapace is fused to the head, and possibly to the anterior end to the thorax in the area in front of the median dorsal plate. A post-mandibular pyritised band may represent the carapace adductor muscle, which inserts on the mesolateral carinae. The mandible resembles that ofCeratiocaris, while the maxillae are like those of extant leptostracans. The 8 thoracopods are biramous: they have an exopod with finger-like lobes and a stenopodous endopod. Posteriorly the endopods reduce markedly, forming a conical, anteriorly open feeding basket. The predominance of dorso-ventrally flattened specimens, and the wide ventral gape of the carapace valves suggests those valves were spread apart in life.Nahecaris may have pressed itself to the substrate by flexing the carapace rim outward and incurving the ventral region of the carapace. The stout second antennae may have stabilised and propelled the animal over the substrate.Nahecaris is thought to have been benthic and to have fed, likeCeratiocaris, by lifting the substrate into suspension, as well as by picking up large fragments directly with the mandibles.     

Description of a new species and redescription of two species of the genus Limoniscus Reitter (Coleoptera,Elateridae, Dendrometrinae) from Japan

We presented a revised taxonomy of two allied species, Limoniscus mitokiiKishii, 2004 and L. ogatai (Kishii, 1985), from western Japan. Through this revision, we found a new species, L. spelunca sp. n., from the type series of L. ogatai. The new species is different in its frons, antennae, prosternum, and aedeagus compared with L. mitokii and L. ogatai. We also reviewed the current understanding of Japanese Limoniscus species, and provided a key to the 23 Limoniscus species found in Japan. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:56104650-EAA9-42E9-AFC3-91D7DCA53938.     

An unusual new species of the genus Brachypalpus Macquart (Diptera: Syrphidae) from Eastern Asia

Brachypalpus (Brachypalpus) longifacies sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Eastern Asia (Russian Far East and Japan). It differs from other species of the nominative subgenus by several unusual characters, i.e. face in profile weakly convex dorsally and concave ventrally, antennae very elongated, and abdomen with reddish transversal maculae on 2nd tergum (male) or 2nd and 3rd terga (female). A key is given for known species of the subgenus Brachypalpus.LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:634CB6E2-B2C1-40EC-8811-BF3DD4BDE69A     

Morphophylogenetic study revealed that Erysiphe gracilis (powdery mildew of evergreen oaks,Erysiphales) is a species complex consisting of six different species

Erysiphe gracilis is a powdery mildew species that occurs on evergreen oak species belonging to Quercus subgen. Cyclobalanopsis in East Asia (China and Japan). In a previous report, we found that E. gracilis var. gracilis is divided into four genotypes each of them forming a separate clade with strong bootstrap support. In this study, we further investigated genotype speciation in E. gracilis var. longissima occurring on Q. acuta and Q. sessilifolia, and found that this variety is also divided into two distinct genotypes. These results suggested that E. gracilis represents a species complex consisting of six different species. Based on detailed morphological examinations correlating with results of molecular sequence analyses, we propose to divide E. gracilis into six species, encompassing three new species (E. uncinuloides, E. pseudogracilis, and E. longiappendiculata), one new name (E. longifilamentosa), and two known species (E. gracilis s. str. and E. hiratae). A key to the species concerned is provided.