New species of Alaus Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Elateridae,Agrypninae, Hemirhipini)

Four new species of Alaus Eschscholtz, 1829 are described: A. cinnamomeus n. sp., A. latlpennls n. sp., A. serlceus n. sp. and A. thoracopunctatus n. sp. Three species removed from Chalcolepldlus Eschscholtz, 1829, are transferred to this genus: A. allcll (Pjatakowa, 1941) n. comb., A. haroldl (Candèze, 1878) n.comb. and A. unlcus (Fleutiaux, 1910) n. comb. The characters of external morphology of these seven species and male and female genitalia, when available, are described and illustrated. An identification key for all species of the genus is included: A. allcll (Pjatakowa, 1941) n. comb., A. calcarlpllosus Casari, 1996, A. cinnamomeus n. sp., A. haroldl (Candèze, 1878) n. comb., A. latlpennls n. sp., A. lusclosus (Hope, 1832), A. melanops Leconte, 1863, A. myops (Fabricius, 1801), A. nobllls Sallé, 1855, A. oculatus (Linnaeus, 1758), A. patrlclus (Candèze, 1857), A. plebejus Candèze, 1874, A. serlceus n. sp., A. thoracopunctatus n. sp., A. tricolor (Olivier, 1790), A. unlcus (Fleutiaux, 1910) n. comb., A. veracruzanus Casari, 1996 and A. zunianus Casey, 1893.     

中国新记录种黑毛地蜂记述（膜翅目：地花蜂科：毛地蜂亚科）

对近来记述的古北区东部地区的毛地蜂属Panurginus Nylander全部14个种作了补充研究。中国对该属的研究较少,仅知2种：黑足毛地蜂Panurginus nigripes Morawitz 和黄跗毛地蜂Panurginus flavotarsus ? Wu。黑毛地蜂Panurginus niger Nylander为该属的模式种,分布于俄罗斯和蒙古,本文报道该种为中国新记录种。目前,中国已知该属3种,分属于2个组即niger-group和herzi-group。文中提供了中国已知种类检索表。     

The Neotropical genus Anaisus (Elateridae) and its relationship to the Pyrophorinae

Four species of the genus Anaissus Candeze are recognized and described or redescribed and a key for their identification is given; anandra sp.n., aurantium spn., fuscipes sp.n. and tarsalis Candeze (=spinipennis syn.n.). A new subgenus Auctumnalis is erected with aurantium as type-species. Two possible species from Brazil and French Guiana respectively are also reported. The systematic position of the genus is discussed in relation to the Neotropical Pyrophorinae, and on the basis of adult characters Anaissus is here assigned to the subfamily Pyrophorinae.     

Review of the flower beetle genera Neophaedimus Lucas and Herculaisia Seillière (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) from East Asia

Two remarkable genera, Neophaedimus Lucas, 1870, and Herculaisia Seillière, 1910, that occur in China and Vietnam are reviewed. Neophaedimus castaneus Ma, 1989, n. syn. is regarded as a synonym of N. auzouxi Lucas, 1870. The genus Neophaedimus thus becomes monotypic again. N. auzouxi is newly recorded from Vietnam. Parameres of Herculaisia species, H. melaleuca (Fairmaire, 1899), originally described in Neophaedimus, and H. satanas Seillière, 1910, are illustrated for the first time. Presence in China of H. melaleuca, is confirmed, and its distribution in this country is specified. Color photographs of habitus and diagnostic characters for all species are provided, with comments on intraspecific variation. Lectotypes are designated for Neophaedimus melaleuca Fairmaire, 1899, and N. auzouxi Lucas, 1870, and distribution of each species is summarized.     

Sinodima jenisi gen. et sp. nov., a new wingless click-beetle from the mountains of Hunan,China (Elateridae: Dendrometrinae: Dimini)

Sinodima gen. nov., a new genus in the click-beetle tribe Dimini Candèze, 1863 from the mountains in Hunan, China, is described and figured here to accommodate S. jenisi sp. nov. The new genus is easily recognizable from all other Dimini by the following combination of characters: short antennomeres II and III; transverse pronotum with inconspicuous anterior angles; arcuate prosternal process; mesoventrite with straight frontal margin and oblique and straight sides; absent hind wings; and absent sclerites or spines in the bursa copulatrix. Additionally, we compare Sinodima gen. nov. with the morphologically similar genera, and discuss the systematic position of this genus within Dimini.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:91F22A25-E1F1-4EC4-B3EF-5D632B83FDE5     

Phylogeny of the Thylacosterninae (Coleoptera, Elateridae)

The phylogeny of the Elateridae subfamily Thylacosterninae was studied using morphological characters and mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences. Five monophyletic groups were recovered: the Asian Cussolenis , the American Pterotarsus , Balgus and Thylacosternus , and the African " Cussolenis ", which is described here as Lumumbaia new genus Muona & Vahtera (type-species Cussolenis attenuatus Fleutiaux, 1925). The following new combinations are made: Lumumbaia africanus (Fleutiaux, 1897) [ Soleniscus ], Lumumbaia praeustus (Fleutiaux, 1926) [ Cussolenis ], Lumumbaia nigripes (Fleutiaux, 1926) [ Cussolenis ], Lumumbaia robustus (Fleutiaux, 1925) [ Cussolenis ], Lumumbaia attenuatus (Fleutiaux, 1925) [ Cussolenis ] and Lumumbaia notabilis (Fleutiaux, 1926) [ Cussolenis ]. A key to the genera of the subfamily is provided. The data were efficient in recovering generic limits within the group. At species level the mitochondrial 16S rDNA data seemed to work unpredictably, either agreeing or not with traditional species-level limits based on male genitalia and body structure. The evolution of bioluminescence is optimized as a feature originating in the ancestors of clicking elateroids.  © The Willi Hennig Society 2009.     

Ant assemblages in the taiga biome: testing the role of territorial wood ants

Summary Ants were collected with sets of pitfall traps in four coniferous-forest habitats in southern Finland. A three-level competition hierarchy concept was used to generate predictions on ant community structure. The levels of the hierarchy, and the respective predictions, from top to bottom were: (1) The dominant territorial wood ants (Formica rufa-group species), expected to exclude each other. (2) The other aggressive species, likely to be excluded by the F. rufa-group. (3) The submissive species, non-aggressive and defending only their nest, and thus likely to coexist with the dominants but in reduced numbers. As expected, the species of the F. rufa-group excluded each other, and the species number of the other aggressive ants was significantly cut down in the presence of the F. rufa-group. The aggressive species F. sanguinea and Camponotus herculeanus showed complementary occurrences with the F. rufa-group, and Lasius niger reduced occurrences. The number of the submissive species was not significantly affected by the F. rufa-group. However, pairwise correlation coefficients were significantly more often negative than positive between presence of the F. rufa-group and average proportion of pitfalls per set with a submissive species, each analyzed in turn. The result indicates that the F. rufa-group also reduced the colony densities of the submissive species. We conclude that in the taiga biome territorial wood ants are, after adjusting for physical vicissitudes of the environment, the major structuring force of ant species assemblages.     

Length-weight relationships of eight reservoir fish species in Puerto Rico

Length-weight relationships (LWR) of eight fish species, Lepomis auritus (Linnaeus, 1758), Amphilophus labiatus (Günther, 1864), Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852), Cichla ocellaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801, Parachromis managuensis (Günther, 1867), Vieja melanura (Günther, 1862), Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855), and Gobiomorus dormitor Lacepède, 1800, collected by electrofishing and gillnetting from ten reservoirs in Puerto Rico were determined using 3,557 individual fish records collected between 1998 and 2014. All LWRs were significant with r² values ranged from 0.900 for A. labiatus (Günther, 1864) to 0.996 for C. ocellaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801. The LWR parameter b ranged from 2.807 for P. pardalis (Castelnau, 1855) to 3.180 for C. ocellaris Bloch & Schneider, 1801. Data presented herein expand the knowledge base for these species as they have limited or no LWR data available. Also, our samples provide a new maximum length data for P. pardalis (Castelnau, 1855).     

Evolution and phylogenetic relationships within Porinaceae (Ostropomycetidae), focusing on foliicolous species

A phylogeny of the lichen family Porinaceae using mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences is presented, with special focus on foliicolous taxa. Fifty specimens of 28 mostly tropical species, representing eight species groups of Porina as well as the genus Trichothelium, were analysed together with species of other members of Ostropomycetidae, and using Agyriaceae as outgroup. We performed the phylogenetic analyses with a Bayesian approach and under the criterion of maximum parsimony. Four main clades can be distinguished: the P. nitidula-group s. lat. (including Trichothelium, P. papillifera and P. rubescens), the Porina epiphylla-group s. lat. (including the P. radiata-, the P. nucula-, the P. imitatrix- and the P. epiphylla-group s. str.) and two clades of the P. rufula-group. The genus Porina as understood by all recent concepts is paraphyletic, and Trichothelium is nested within the Porina nitidula-group. The non-setose P. repanda forms a monophyletic clade with Trichothelium. The tree does not support a monophyletic origin of substrate preferences or photobiont selection. Species-specific associations with morphologically different trentepohlioid photobionts mapped on the tree suggest that closely related mycobiont species switch between different types of algae.     

The reptilian filarioid genus Foleyella Seurat, 1917 (Onchocercidae: Dirofilariinae) and its relationship to other dirofilariine genera

Summary The type species of Foleyella, i.e. F. candezei (Fraipont, 1882), and F. furcata (Linstow, 1899) are redescribed and an emended diagnosis of the genus is given. Among dirofilariine genera, Foleyella is closest to Pelecitus Railliet & Henry, 1910, which contains numerous parasites of birds and also two species in mammals which appear to have been derived from those in birds. Species in Foleyella and Pelecitus have numerous adult characters in common. Microfilariae of Foleyella species are, however, generally short with a loose sheath, while those of Pelecitus are long with a sheath approximately the same width as the anterior two-thirds of the microfilarial body. ac]19851223     

The blackburni/murchisona species complex in Australian Pseudotetracha (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae: Megacephalini): evaluating molecular and karyological evidence

Our phylogenetic analysis of three endemic species of the Australian tiger beetle genus Pseudotetracha (Fleutiaux, 1864) from South Australia used sequences of two fragments of the mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase III. A matrix for each gene and two combined matrices were constructed. We compared these three riparian species, together with data from nine taxa of this genus available in GenBank, using parsimony and Bayesian methods. These molecular results are in agreement with the phylogenetic hypothesis for the blackburni/murchisona species complex previously proposed based on morphology, whereas other recent molecular analyses have questioned the existence of this species complex. In all of our analyses, samples of P. blackburni divided into two statistically supported clades, one of which is more closely related to P. mendacia and P. pulchra than to the other P. blackburni clade. This suggests the existence of a cryptic new species. Additionally, we analysed chromosomes of the second metaphase cells of members of the two clades. The observations showed different karyotypes as blackburni‐1 has two types of second meiotic metaphase cells with 11 and 12 chromosomes, whereas in blackburni‐2, all cells have 12 chromosomes, adding evidence for the putative existence of two species.     

松褐天牛的捕食性天敌莱氏猛叩甲的生态位

经野外调查结合室内实验发现莱氏猛叩甲Tetrigus lewisi Candèze为松褐天牛Monochamus alternatu Hope的捕食性天敌。且莱氏猛叩甲还可取食马尾松角胫象Shirahoshizoinsisiosus(Voss)和松幽天牛Asemumamuren Kraatz。室内试验表明,1头莱氏猛叩甲在4个月左右的时间内最多可取食17头松褐天牛。林间,该叩甲在马尾松衰弱木上的种群密度为平均3～4头/株,以树干3m以下分布较多。通过对其空间生态位的研究发现该虫与松褐天牛的空间生态位宽度相当,且这2种昆虫的生态位重叠值和生态位的比例相似性较大。     

Chromosome numbers and karyotypes within the Ranunculus alpestris-group (Ranunculaceae)

The Ranunculus alpestris-group comprises six white-flowered species growing in mostly alpine zones of central and southern European mountains. They all are diploid with 2n=16 chromosomes. The common karyotype of the group was established based on 75 metaphases (6–26 metaphases per species). The haploid karyotype consists of four metacentric (chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 7) and four more or less subtelocentric chromosomes (2, 4, 5, 8). This karyotype is similar to that of other white-flowered European Ranunculus species as well as the yellow-flowered R. thora-group. Analysis of karyotypes partly confirms relationships inferred from molecular phylogenies. Species with this karyotype are placed on rather basal branches in existing phylogenies, which may indicate that this karyotype is primitive within the genus Ranunculus.     

Cranial shape variation in jacarean caimanines (Crocodylia,Alligatoroidea) and its implications in the taxonomic status of extinct species: The case of Melanosuchus fisheri

Melanosuchus niger (Crocodylia, Alligatoroidea) is one of the six living caimanine species widely distributed throughout the Amazon River basin today. Although there is only one extant species of Melanosuchus, fossil material assigned to this genus, represented by M. fisheri, has been reported from the late Miocene in South America. However, the validity of this taxon has been questioned and a recent investigation indicates that the referred specimen of M. fisheri (MCZ 4336) actually belongs to Globidentosuchus brachyrostris, while those diagnostic characters present in the holotype (MCNC 243) fall into the spectrum of intraspecific variation of M. niger. Here, we compare the skull shape of the holotype of M. fisheri with the ontogenetic series of the four jacarean species (M. niger, Caiman yacare, Caiman crocodilus, and Caiman latirostris) using 2D‐geometric morphometric analyses in two different views. The analyses indicate that MCNC 243 falls into the morphospace of M. niger and C. latirostris. Despite strong shape similarities between juveniles of C. latirostris and MCNC 243, further anatomical comparisons reveal notable differences between them. In contrast, no concrete anatomical differences can be found between MCNC 243 and M. niger, although shape analyses indicate that MCNC 243 is relatively robust for its size. Thus, this study is able to confirm that the genus Melanosuchus was present in the late Miocene, but it still remains unclear if MCNC 243 should be treated as a junior synonym or probably a sister species of M. niger. Its Miocene age favors the second option, but as the shape analyses were also not able to extract any diagnostic characters, it should be retained as Melanosuchus cf. niger.