Commensal Leucothoidae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) of the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Part I: ascidian-dwellers

Commensal leucothoid amphipods have been collected from the branchial chambers of their ascidian hosts throughout the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Seven new species are described in two genera with valuable location data and host records. An identification key to ascidian-dwelling Leucothoidae of the Ryukyu Archipelago is provided.     

Commensal Leucothoidae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) of the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Part III: coral rubble-dwellers

Commensal leucothoid amphipods have been collected from coral rubble samples throughout the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Seven new species are described in two generawith valuable location data. A new locality is presented for Paranamixis misakiensis Thomas, 1997. An identification key to all described Leucothoidae of the Ryukyu Archipelago is provided.     

A new species of the genus Molanna Curtis (Trichoptera, Molannidae) from the Yaeyama Islands, the southernmost part of Japan

A new species of molannid caddisfly, Molanna yaeyamensis sp. nov., is described based on adult and immature stages from the Yaeyama Islands, the Ryukyu Archipelago, the southernmost part of Japan.     

A new species of Orobdella (Hirudinida, Arhynchobdellida, Orobdellidae) from Taipei, Taiwan

A new quadrannulate species of Orobdella, Orobdella ketagalansp. n., from Taipei, Taiwan, is described. This is the first record of Orobdella and the family Orobdellidae from Taiwan. This new species possesses small, paired sperm duct bulbs in the male reproductive system. In addition to these bulbs, the following combination of characters distinguishes this new species from other quadrannulate species: somite IV uniannulate, male gonopore at XI b6, female gonopore at XIII a1, 1/2 + 4 + 1/2 between gonopores, simple tubular gastroporal duct, lacking epididymides, and undeveloped atrial cornua. Phylogenetic analyses using nuclear 18S rDNA and histone H3 as well as mitochondrial COI, 12S rDNA, tRNA(Val), and 16S rDNA markers showed that Orobdella ketagalan is related to the two Ryukyu Archipelago species Orobdella dolichopharynx Nakano, 2011 and Orobdella shimadae Nakano, 2011.     

Two new species of Asellota (Crustacea,Isopoda) from coral reefs on Iriomote Island,Okinawa, Japan

Pleurocope iriomotensis sp. n. and Prethura tuberculata sp. n. are described from Iriomote Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, southern Japan. These are the first records of Pleurocope from the Pacific and of Prethura from the Asian Pacific coast. Pleurocope iriomotensis differs from its congeners in having lateral spine-like processes on pereonite 4 and coxal plates of pereonite 7. Prethura tuberculata can be distinguished from its single congener in having a lateral short projection of protopod of pleopod 2.     

A new sexannulate species of Orobdella (Hirudinida, Arhynchobdellida, Orobdellidae) from Yakushima Island, Japan

A new sexannulate species of the genus Orobdella Oka, 1895, Orobdella mononokesp. n., is described on the basis of five specimens collected from Yakushima Island, Japan. Orobdella mononokesp. n. differs from other sexannulate Orobdella species in its possessing the following combination of characters: dorsal surface bicolor in life, I-XIII, XXVII and caudal sucker grayish purple, XIV-XXVI amber, male gonopore at XI c11/c12, female gonopore at XIII b2, 8 + 1/2 between gonopores, tubular but bulbous at junction with crop gastroporal duct, epididymides in XV-XIX, and atrial cornua ovate. Phylogenetic analyses using nuclear 18S rDNA and histone H3, and mitochondrial COI, tRNA(Cys), tRNA(Met), 12S rDNA, tRNA(Val) and 16S rDNA markers show that Orobdella mononokesp. n. is closely related to Orobdella esulcata Nakano, 2010 from Kyushu, Japan, and two species, Orobdella dolichopharynx Nakano, 2011 and Orobdella shimadae Nakano, 2011, from the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan.     

White-toothed shrews (Mammalia, Soricomorpha, Crocidura) of coastal islands of Vietnam

New findings of the white-toothed shrews (Crocidura spp.) from offshore islands of Vietnam are reported. The species identifications have been confirmed by the analysis of complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1140 bp). Crocidura phuquocensis is the only species found in the Phu Quoc Island. Crocidura fuliginosa has been recorded from two islands of the Con Dao Archipelago (Con Son and Bai Canh). The occurrence of Crocidura fuliginosa in Vietnam has been genetically confirmed for the first time. Crocidura attenuata has been collected from the Cat Ba Island for the first time, and this finding corresponds well with the proposal that the species' distribution is confined to the north and east of the Red River only.     

Cossidae of the socotra archipelago (yemen)

The faunistic composition of the family Cossidae (Lepidoptera) of the Socotra Archipelago is revised. Five species are recognized, including two new species (Mormogystia brandstetteri and Meharia hackeri), and dubious identifications and records are discussed. Adults and genitalia are illustrated and bionomic details, DNA barcodes and a synonymic checklist for Socotran cossids are provided. A review of their distribution reveals that at least 80 percent of Socotra's cossids are unique to the archipelago, which is renowned for its endemism. A checklist listing all the species from generas Meharia, Mormogystia, Aethalopteryx, Azygophleps, as well as the synonymy and distribution is provided.     

Genetic characteristics and possible introduced origin of the paradise fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Macropodus opercularis</Emphasis> in the Ryukyu Archipelago,Japan

It has hitherto been unknown whether the paradise fish Macropodus opercularis that inhabits the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan, is native to the region or was introduced. This study examined the genetic identity of fish from five islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago (Okinoerabu, Okinawa, Yagaji, Kume, and Minamidaito islands) and compared it with those from Taiwan Island, mainland China, and Hainan Island. Analyses of the mtDNA control (760 bp) and cytb (660 bp) regions showed that haplotypes of specimens from the Ryukyu Archipelago were the same as or were very similar (with a 1- or 2-bp difference) to those from Taiwan. In addition, haplotypes from the Ryukyu Archipelago also showed lower genetic diversity than those from Taiwan Island, mainland China, and Hainan Island. These results suggest a high likelihood that the fish in the Ryukyu Archipelago were artificially introduced from Taiwan. However, the possibility that the fish is indigenous to the Ryukyu Archipelago cannot be completely ruled out, because some haplotypes and a clade from the Ryukyu Archipelago have not been found in the other areas. Regardless of its origin, we emphasize the importance of the conservation of the paradise fish in the Ryukyu Archipelago as an indicator of the threatened wetland environment as well as for its cultural value.     

Multiple invasions of the Ryukyu Archipelago by Oriental frogs of the subgenus Odorrana with phylogenetic reassessment of the related subgenera of the genus Rana

The genus Rana, notably diversified in Oriental regions from China to Southeast Asia, includes a group of cascade frogs assigned to subgenera Odorrana and Eburana. Among them, R. ishikawae and the R. narina complex represent the northernmost members occurring from Taiwan to the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan. Relationships of these frogs with the continental members, as well as the history of their invasions to islands, have been unclear. The taxonomic status of Odorrana and related genera varies among authors and no phylogenetic reassessment has been done. Using partial sequences of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes, we estimated phylogenetic relationships among 17 species of the section Hylarana including Odorrana and Eburana, and related species from the Ryukyus, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. We estimate that (1) Odorrana is monophyletic and encompasses species of Eburana and R. hosii, which is now placed in Chalcorana, (2) the ancestor of R. ishikawae separated from other Rana in the middle to late Miocene prior to its entry to the Ryukyu Archipelago, (3) the ancestor of the R. narina complex later diversified in continental Asia, and invaded the Ryukyu Archipelago through Taiwan, (4) the R. narina complex attained its current distribution within the Ryukyus through niche segregations, and (5) vicariance of R. hosii between Malay Peninsula and Borneo occurred much later than the divergence events in the R. narina complex. Current subgeneric classification of Rana, at least of Southeast Asian members, requires full reassessment in the light of phylogenetic relationships.     

Out of Hawaii: the origin and biogeography of the genus Scaptomyza (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

The Hawaiian Archipelago is the most isolated island system on the planet and has been the subject of evolutionary research for over a century. The largest radiation of species in Hawaii is the Hawaiian Drosophilidae, a group of approximately 1000 species. Dispersal to isolated island systems like Hawaii is rare and the resultant flora and fauna shows high disharmony with mainland communities. The possibility that some lineages may have originated in Hawaii and subsequently 'escaped' to diversify on continental landmasses is expected to be rarer still. We present phylogenetic analysis of 134 partially sequenced mitochondrial genomes of Drosophilidae (approx. 1.3 Mb of sequence total) to address major aspects of adaptive radiation and dispersal in Hawaii. We show that the genus Scaptomyza, a group that accounts for approximately one-third of the species-level diversity of Drosophilidae in the Hawaiian Islands, originated in Hawaii, diversified there, and subsequently colonized a number of island and continental landmasses elsewhere on the globe. We propose that a combination of small body size, rapid generation time and unique ecological and physiological adaptations have allowed this genus to effectively disperse and diversify.     

Habitat generalization of a predatory ladybird,Harmonia yedoensis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), in an allopatric area with respect to its sibling species Harmonia axyridis

In central Japan, Harmonia yedoensis is a specialist ladybird that is confined to pine tree habitats, whereas its sibling species Harmonia axyridis is a generalist that feeds on a wide range of aphid species in nature. Interestingly, H. axyridis is not distributed in the Ryukyu Archipelago, southern Japan. We hypothesized that the ecological niche of H. yedoensis should be wider in the Ryukyu Archipelago, where its competitor species in central Japan, H. axyridis, is absent. We undertook fieldwork and a survey of published works to examine habitat utilization by H. yedoensis in the Ryukyu Archipelago. We found that H. yedoensis adults in the Ryukyu Archipelago visited several kinds of deciduous trees, including wild tamarind, Chinese hibiscus, Taiwan cherry and Malayan banyan, as well as pine trees. These observations suggest that habitat generalization has occurred in H. yedoensis in the Ryukyu Archipelago, where it does not compete with H. axyridis.     

On Hypolycaena from Maluku, Indonesia, including the first description of male Hypolycaena asahi (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)

The taxonomy and distribution of the five species of Hypolycaena in Maluku are discussed and new locality records given. Corrections are made to the published taxonomy and distribution of Hypolycaena phorbas (Fabricius, 1793). This clarification enables a better understanding of the biogeography of the genus. Hypolycaena asahi Okubo, 2007, was originally described from a single female from Ambon and is here recorded from Seram. The male is described for the first time.     

Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution

McDiarmid et al. (1999) published the first part of their planned taxonomic catalog of the snakes of the world. Since then, several new python taxa have been described in both the scientific literature and non-peer-reviewed publications. This checklist evaluates the nomenclatural status of the names and discusses the taxonomic status of the new taxa, and aims to continue the work of McDiarmid et al. (1999) for the family Pythonidae, covering the period 1999 to 2010. Numerous new taxa are listed, and where appropriate recent synonymies are included and annotations are made. A checklist and a taxonomic identification key of valid taxa are provided.     

First Alaskan records and a significant northern range extension for two species of Diplura (Diplura,Campodeidae)

Species in the class Diplura are recorded from Alaska for the first time. Two species, Tricampa rileyi Silvestri from Dall and Prince of Wales Islands in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska and Metriocampa allocerca Conde & Geeraert from near Quartz Lake, southeast of Fairbanks, both in the family Campodeidae, are documented based on recently collected specimens deposited in the University of Alaska Museum Insect Collection. A brief review of the history of the documentation of the Alaskan soil microarthropod fauna is provided, as well as discussion of possible glacial refugia.     

Study of types of some species of "Filaria" (Nematoda) parasites of small mammals described by Von Linstow and Molin

Parasitic nematodes from the Berlin (ZMB) and Vienna (NMW) Museum collections referred to the genus Filaria Mueller, 1787 by von Linstow or Molin were studied. Three samples were in good condition and the specimens redescribed. Litomosa hepatica (von Linstow, 1897) n. comb., sample ZMB Vermes Entozoa 3368, from the megachiropteran Pteropus neohibernicus, Bismarck Archipelago, resembles L. maki Tibayrenc, Bain & Ramanchandran, 1979, from Pteropus vampyrus, in Malaysia, but the buccal capsule differs. Both species display particular morphological characters which differ from species of Litomosa parasitic in microchiropterans. The remaining material originates from Brazil. The spicule morphology of Litomosoides circularis (von Linstow, 1899) Chandler, 1931, sample ZMB Vermes Entozoa 1059 from Hesperomys spec. (= Holochilus brasiliensis), Porto Alegre, confirms that it belongs to the sigmodontis group; the microfilaria presents characters of the genus Litomosoides, e.g. body attenuated at both extremities and salient cephalic hook. Taxonomic discussions by others confirm that species of Litomosoides belonging to the sigmodontis group and described subsequently are distinct from L. circularis. Litomosoides serpicula (Molin, 1858) Guerrero, Martin, Gardner & Bain, 2002, is redescribed, sample NMW 6323 from the bat Phyllostoma spiculatum (= Sturnira lilium), Ypanema. It is very close to L. brasiliensis Almeida, 1936, type host Moytis sp., but distinguished by a single ring in the buccal capsule, rather than two, supporting previous conclusions that the taxon L. brasiliensis, as generally regarded, may represent a complex of species. Samples NMW 6322 and NMW 6324, from other bats and also identified by Molin (1858) as Filaria serpicula, contain unidentifiable fragments of Litomosoides incertae sedis. Filaria hyalina von Linstow, 1890, sample ZMB Vermes Entozoa Q 3905 from Sorer vulgaris (= Sorex araneus), is incertae sedis because it contains two unidentifiable posterior parts of male, which might be an acuarid, Stammerinema sp. Filaria vesperuginis von Linstow, 1885, sample ZMB Vermes Entozoa Q 3929, from the bat Vesperugo serotinus (= Eptesicus serotinus), contains encysted nematode larvae and is a nomen dubium.     

Crossing the line: increasing body size in a trans-Wallacean lizard radiation (Cyrtodactylus,Gekkota)

The region between the Asian and Australian continental plates (Wallacea) demarcates the transition between two differentiated regional biotas. Despite this striking pattern, some terrestrial lineages have successfully traversed the marine barriers of Wallacea and subsequently diversified in newly colonized regions. The hypothesis that these dispersals between biogeographic realms are correlated with detectable shifts in evolutionary trajectory has however rarely been tested. Here, we analyse the evolution of body size in a widespread and exceptionally diverse group of gekkotan lizards (Cyrtodactylus), and show that a clade that has dispersed eastwards and radiated in the Australopapuan region appears to have significantly expanded its body size ‘envelope’ and repeatedly evolved gigantism. This pattern suggests that the biotic composition of the proto-Papuan Archipelago provided a permissive environment in which new colonists were released from evolutionary constraints operating to the west of Wallacea.     

Role of Nematodes,Nematicides, and Crop Rotation on the Productivity and Quality of Potato,Sweet Potato,Peanut, and Grain Sorghum

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of fenamiphos 15G and short-cycle potato (PO)-sweet potato (SP) grown continuously and in rotation with peanut (PE)-grain sorghum (GS) on yield, crop quality, and mixed nematode population densities of Meloidogyne arenaria, M. hapla, M. incognita, and Mesocriconema ornatum. Greater root-gall indices and damage by M. hapla and M. incognita occurred on potato than other crops. Most crop yields were higher and root-gall indices lower from fenamiphos-treated plots than untreated plots. The total yield of potato in the PO-SP and PO-SP-PE-GS sequences increased from 1983 to 1985 in plots infested with M. hapla or M. arenaria and M. incognita in combination and decreased in 1986 to 1987 when root-knot nematode populations shifted to M. incognita. The total yields of sweet potato in the PO-SP-PE-GS sequence were similar in 1983 and 1985, and declined each year in the PO-SP sequence as a consequence of M. incognita population density increase in the soil. Yield of peanut from soil infested with M. hapla increased 82% in fenamiphos-treated plots compared to untreated plots. Fenamiphos treatment increased yield of grain sorghum from 5% to 45% over untreated controls. The declining yields of potato and sweet potato observed with both the PO-SP and PO-SP-PE-GS sequences indicate that these crop systems should not be used longer than 3 years in soil infested with M. incognita, M. arenaria, or M. hapla. Under these conditions, these two cropping systems promote a population shift in favor of M. incognita, which is more damaging to potato and sweet potato than M. arenaria and M. hapla.     

Description of Caurinus tlagu,new species,from Prince of Wales Island,Alaska (Mecoptera,Boreidae, Caurininae)

A new species of the cryptic, minute, wingless, and enigmatic taxon Caurinus, and the second for the subfamily Caurininae,is described from Prince of Wales Island in the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska. It is distinguished from its only congener, Caurinus dectes Russell, 1979b, which occurs 1,059 km southeast in Oregon and Washington, based on external morphology and sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase II. These two species are probably evolutionary relicts – the only known members of a clade dating to the Late Jurassic or older.     

Dehydrogenases,Acid and Alkaline Phosphatases,and Esterases for Chemotaxonomy of Selected Meloidogyne,Ditylenchus, Heterodera and Aphelenchus spp.

Various taxonomically useful profiles of four dehydrogenases (lactate, malate, glucose-6-phosphate, and a-glycerophosphate) and three hydrolases (acid and alkaline phosphatase and esterase) were detected in whole nematode homogenates of Meloidogyne javanica, M. hapla, M. incognita, M. arenaria, Ditylenchus dipsaci, D. triformis, Heterodera glycines, and Aphelenchus avenae. The enzyme profiles were stable in populations cultured on several different hosts. A tentative enzymically-determined phylogeny of Meloidogyne is given.