Highly oxygenated guaianolides from Bishopanthus soliceps

In addition to known compounds several highly oxygenated guaianolides and eudesmanolides, derived from 1β-hydroxyarbusculin A, were isolated from the aerial parts of Bishopanthus soliceps, a member of a new genus of the tribe Liabeae.     

A comparative study of latex-producing tissues in genera of Liabeae (Asteraceae)

Laticifers are highly specialized living plant cells which produce and contain latex. Occurrence of latex was used to establish morphological affinities (i) between Liabeae and other Asteracean tribes, (ii) among the Liabean genera, and (iii) in order to obtain phylogenies within Liabeae. However, structures and types of latex-producing tissues in this tribe have not yet been studied anatomically. In the present paper latex-producing structures of aerial parts in species of Microliabum, Munnozia, and Paranephelius (Liabeae), from open areas in mid-elevation Andean forests and in Andean high-elevation habitats, were studied. In all the analyzed species, latex secretion was easily observed in stem and leaf blade hand sections. Laticifers accompanied vascular tissues in all the cases, throughout stems and leaves, and they were of the articulated anastomosed type, at least in fully developed stages. Laticifers were found facing both, the xylem and the phloem, except for Paranephelius stems, in which they occur merely next to the phloem. Leaf laticifers form a reticulum accompanying the vein system. The type of latex-producing tissue shared by Microliabum and Munnozia could be a character shared by common ancestry whereas the laticifer system of Paranephelius stems could represent an evolutionary novelty for this genus. The laticifer type described in this study in aerial parts of Liabeae may allow establishing morphological affinities with tribes Cichorieae and Arctoteae.     

A review of the phylogeny and classification of the Asteraceae

The Asteraceae are commonly divided into two large subfamilies, the Cichorioideae (syn. Lactucoideae; Mutisieae, Cardueae, Lactuceae, Vernonieae, Liabeae, Arctoteae) and the Asteroideae (Inuleae, Astereae, Anthemideae, Senecioneae, Calenduleae, Heliantheae, Eupatorieae). Recent phylogenetic analyses based on morphological and chloroplast DNA data conclusively show that the Mutisieae-Barnadesiinae are the sister group to the rest of the family and that the Asteroideae tribes form a monophyletic group. The Vernonieae and Liabeae are sister tribes and the Eupatorieae are nested within a paraphyletic Heliantheae; otherwise tribal interrelationships are still largely uncertain. The Mutisieae-Barnadesiinae are excluded from the Mutisieae and elevated to the new subfamily Barnadesioideae. The two subfamilies Barnadesioideae and Asteroideae are monophyletic, whereas the status of the Cichorioideae remains uncertain. Analyses of chloroplast DNA data support the monophyly of the Cichorioideae; however, morphological data indicate that the subfamily is paraphyletic. Further studies are needed to test the monophyly of the Cichorioideae, as well as to further resolve tribal interrelationships in the two larger subfamilies.     

Remarkable discovery in a cave of south west Morocco: Siagona taggadertensis n.sp. (Carabidae: Siagoninae)

Five species of the genus Siagona Latreille 1804 (Carabidae: Siagoninae) are known from Morocco. Siagona taggadertensis n. sp., a remarkable species of Carabidae from a Moroccan cave is described. This insect is spectacular by its large size (one of the largest species of the genus), its external morphology, which isolates it from all the north african representant of the genus, and for the conditions of its discovery: its only known from the remains of six specimens, all of them found in the cave of Taggadert, western Atlas. Hypotheses concerning the ecology of this species are discussed.     

Preliminary notes on the genus Aeschnosoma Selys 1870 (Odonata: Anisoptera: Corduliidae s. str.)

Three new species of the genus Aeschnosoma are briefly described and illustrated. A. pseudoforcipula n. sp. and A. heliophila n. sp., both from the Brazilian Central Plateau are respectively related to the two Amazonian species A. forcipula Hagen in Selys 1871, and A. auripennis Geijskes 1970. A. louissiriusi n. sp. from Northern Brazil is not closely related to any known species. Based on larval and adult derived characters, the genus Aeschnosoma appears closely related to the Australian genus Pentathemis Karsch 1890, and also to the Madagascan genus Libellulosoma Martin 1907. The clade Aeschnosomata nov. is erected to receive the three genera. Some putative plesiomorphies would place this clade sister group of the remaining Corduliidae s.str.     

Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the genus Aneorhachis Kleine 1923 (Coleoptera: Brentidae: Microtrachelizini)

A taxonomic revision of the genus Aneorhachis Kleine 1923 (Coleoptera: Brentidae) and a phylogenetic analysis of species belonging to this genus are carried out. The genus Ipsopisthius Kabakov 2001 is synonymised with Aneorhachis, and two new combinations are proposed: Aneorhachis hirta (Kabakov 2001), n. comb. and A. incerta (Kleine 1935), n. comb. Higonius nitens Goossens 2008 is synonymized with A. incerta. One new species is described from New Guinea, A. papuana n. sp. All the species are redescribed and type-specimens are illustrated; an identification key is proposed. A maximum parsimony analysis is provided on the base of 23 characters from adult morphology. This analysis confirms the monophyly of the genus and seems to show that Aneorhachis originated on continental Asia and then spread out eastward to colonize Pacific islands.     

Isotomiella (Isotomidae: Collembola) of China

Seven species of the genus Isotomiella Bagnall 1939 were collected in China, two of which from Hainan and Guangxi provinces (South China) are newly described and illustrated. Isotomiella longisensilla n. sp. has bidentate mucro and long sensilla on most tergites, a character never seen before in this genus. I. deharvengi n. sp. belongs to the minor group and is characterized by a pair of strongly curved sensilla on Abd. V.     

Notes on some corydiid species from China,with the description of a new genus (Blattodea: Corydioidea: Corydiidae)

This article presents the diversity of cockroach family Corydiidae from China. Epipolyphaga wukong Qiu, Che et Wang, n. gen., n. sp., is described. Habitus and detailed characters of the new taxa are illustrated. A comparison between the new genus and the morphologically similar genus Eupolyphaga Chopard is given. The genus Tivia Walker and the species Eucorydia westwoodi (Gerstaecker) are newly recorded from China. The Corydioidea chapter in Cockroaches of Southeastern China by Liu et al. is revised. A key to genera and a checklist of Chinese Corydiidae are provided.     

First record of Isocapnia (Plecoptera: Capniidae) from China with description of a new species

Summary

The winter stonefly genus Isocapnia Banks, 1938??? is mainly distributed in western North America and eastern Asia, but has never been reported from China. In this paper, we report, describe and illustrate a new species of this genus, I. anguis n. sp. from Sichuan Province of China. This is the first record for the genus Isocapnia from China, extending the distribution of Isocapnia into the southwestern China. An identification key to all the Isocapnia species from Asia is provided.???     

Nothotalisia, a new genus of Picramniaceae from tropical America

A new genus of Picramniaceae from tropical America, Nothotalisia, is described. Of the three species in the genus, N. piranii and N. cancellata, are new to science. The third, N. peruviana, was originally described as Talisia peruviana in the Sapindaceae. The genus and all three species are described, illustrated, and distinguished by means of a key.     

Allolarinus,a new genus and species of Lixini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae) from Congo

A new weevil genus, Allolarinus n. gen., with type species, Allolarinus demeyeri n. sp., is described from Congo in the tribe Lixini. The illustrations and diagnostic characteristics of this genus have been presented in a table and figure plates. This new genus is related to Larinus Dejean in terms of the type of elytra and general shape of the prothorax but clearly differs from Larinus with respect to its tooth-bearing femora and granulose pronotum. The trapezoidal short-neck prothorax and general shape of the elytra of this new genus are similar to those of Larinus; the granulose pronotum to that of Lixomorphus Faust; the dentate femora to that of Holcolixus Voss, Erilixus Voss, and Sublarinus Petri; while the existing cubito-anal vein on metathoracic wings to those of Allolixus Voss.     

A new enigmatic apterous cyclostome genus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from the Greek Islands

A new West Palaearctic genus Achaiabracon gen. n. with the type species A. aenigmatus sp. n. is described and illustrated from the Greek Islands Crete and Corfu. The position of this genus in the cyclostome group of subfamilies of Braconidae and its possible relation with rhyssaline genera are discussed. A new tribe Achaiabraconini trib. n. is proposed.     

A second species of the genus Sciaphyes (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Sciaphyini) from Japan

A second species of the genus Sciaphyes Jeannel is reported from Japan. The new species, S. kawaharai sp. n., can be easily distinguished from other Japanese Cholevine by the lack of eyes and hind wings. S. kawaharai sp. n. was collected in the nests of lesser white-toothed Shrew, Crocidura suaveolens (Pallas 1811) (Insectivora: Soricidae), therefore its habitat is pholeophile.     

Recent genus Notonecta (Insecta: Heteroptera: Notonectidae) in the Lower Cretaceous of San Luis,Argentina: Palaeoecological implications

We describe a new species of the genus Notonecta, i.e. Notonecta mazzoniae n. sp. from the Lower Cretaceous of Argentina. It is the first fossil representative of the family described from South America, demonstrating the great antiquity of the genus, bearing identical ventral chaetal system correlated with respiratory for such a long period. The new species is recorded only by immature stages from the second to the fifth instars. Specimens are considered to be exuviae and not body fossils. Absence of body fossils may be due to taphonomic bias instead of palaeoecological constrains. In addition we found some specimens of Anisopinae, also considered as nymph exuviae, which represent the oldest record of the taxon.     

Review of the neotropical endemics Burmeistera, Centropogon, and Siphocampylus (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae), with description of 18 new species and a new section

Burmeistera, Centropogon, and Siphocampylus together comprise more than 500 species endemic to the Neotropics, Current knowledge of these genera is unsatisfactory, with much diversity yet to be described. Over the past seven years, one out of every 28 specimens received for identification has represented a new species, many characterized by unique or unusual character states. Siphocampylus smilax (Bolivia) is unique in the genus in its parallelodromous leaf venation and extra-floral nectaries. Centropogon dianae (Peru) cannot be accommodated in any recognized infrageneric taxon, and a new section, Centropogon sect. Niveopsis, is proposed for it. The flowers of C. steinii (Ecuador) are the smallest known in the genus, while C. connatilobatus (Venezuela) is the first species to combine arbusculiform pubescence and connate calyx lobes. Burmeistera venezuelensis is only the second species of the genus known to occur in Venezuela and the first to be endemic; similarly, Centropogon wilburii is only the third species of Centropogon known from Mexico and the first to be endemic to that country. Additional novelties are also described.     

The genus Apsiphortica from China with DNA barcoding information (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Two new species of the genus Apsiphortica are described from China: A. orthophallos n. sp. and A. sinuatipenis n. sp. Species delimitations are improved by integrating morphological and DNA barcoding information. The intra- and interspecific pairwise p-distances (proportional distance) are summarized for five Apsiphortica species from China. Furthermore, nucleotide sites with fixed status in the alignment of the COI sequences (639 nucleotide sites in length) are used as “pure” molecular diagnostic characters to delineate the five species. A key to all the Chinese species of the genus Apsiphortica is provided.     

Revision of the genus Evanos Laporte de Castelnau, 1840, with the description of a second species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Rutelidae: Geniatini)

The monotypic genus Evanos (Coleoptera: Rutelidae: Geniatini) is revised and a new species, E. danieleae Grossi, n. sp., is described based on specimens collected from Minas Gerais, Brazil. A lectotype is designated for Evanos villatus. Diagnostic characters and comments about the taxonomic status of the genus are given, as well as a key for both species and a distribution map with the known locality records.     

Revision of the genus Heliomantis Giglio-Tos 1915 (Insecta: Mantodea: Hymenopodidae)

Summary. The little-known flower mantis genus Heliomantis Giglio-Tos 1915 (Hymenopodidae) distributed in South and South-Eastern Asia is revised. All species are redescribed. New data on the morphology, distribution and ecology are given, and all known specimens are listed. The lectotype of H. elegans (Navás 1904) is designated. Due to highly divergent morphology, H. latipennis Werner 1930 from Sarawak, Borneo, is transferred to Werneriana n. gen., leaving the genus Heliomantis with the only species, H. elegans (Navás, 1904).