Four species of Lepidapedoides Yamaguti, 1970 (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae) from fishes of the southern Great Barrier Reef, with a tabulation of host-parasite data on the group

Four species of the genus Lepidapedoides Yamaguti, 1970 are described from Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. They are: Lepidapedoides angustus n. sp. in Epinephelus fasciatus (type-host), E. cyanopodus, E. merra, E. quoyanus, E. ongus, Cephalopholis miniata and Diploprion bifasciatum; L. dollfusi (Durio & Manter, 1968) n. comb. [originally Neolepidapedon] in Epinephelus cyanopodus; L. ovale (Yamaguti, 1942) n. comb. [originally Pseudocreadium] in Caesio cuning and Pterocaesio marri; and L. parvulus n. sp. in Pterocaesio marri (type-host) and Caesio cuning. Host and distribution information on the species of the genus are tabulated according to morphological group. Mycterobonacinus Nasir & Gomez, 1977 is considered synonymous with Lepidapedoides, and M. magnifus is considered a synonym of L. nicolli.     

Eragrostis nilgiriensis sp. nov. (Poaceae) from Nilgiri district,Tamil Nadu,India

A new species of the grass genus Eragrostis Wolf, E. nilgiriensis C. P. Vivek, G. V. S. Murthy & V. J. Nair sp. nov. from Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu, India is described and illustrated. The species is allied to E. barrelieri, but differs from it mainly by the primary panicle branches not spiculate up to base, leaves not glaucous, lemma shorter and acute and by a much smaller caryopsis. The new species is morphologically similar also to E. minor and E. nigra. A table listing differences between these species is provided.     

The species ofEretmocerus Haldeman, 1850 [Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae] from India

An account of the Indian species of the genusEretmocerus Haldeman is given. Three new species (E. indicus sp. n.,E. mashhoodi sp. n.,E. gunturiensis sp. n.) are described. Three species (E. haldemani Howard,E. mundus Mercet,E. corni Haldeman) are reported for the first time from India. A revised key to the known species of the genus is also given.

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Résumé Une révision des espèces indiennes du genreEretmocerus Haldeman est donnée. Trois nouvelles espèces (E. indicus, E. mashhoodi, E. gunturiensis) sont décrites, trois autres espèces (E. haldemani Howard,E. mundus Mercet,E. corni Haldeman) sont signalées pour la première fois de l’Inde. Une clé révisée des espèces connues de ce genre est proposée.

     

New,known and unidentified species of Eulimdana (Nematoda): additional information on biologically unusual filarioids of charadriiform birds

Eulimdana spp. were found in 13 of 32 species of charadriiform birds from North America and Iceland; 88 of 636 adult birds and seven of 72 juvenile birds harboured infections. Described are: E. andersoni n. sp. from Chlidonias niger; E. metcalforum n. sp. from Sterna hirundo; E. sonini n. sp. from Charadrius hiaticula; E. wongae n. sp. from Limosa fedoa; and E. bainae n. sp. from Numenius phaeopus. Eulimdana asperum Bartlett, Anderson, & Bush, 1989 is reported for the second time in its type-host, Phalaropus tricolor. The emerging pattern of one parasite species to one host species suggests that most Eulimdana species are strongly host specific. However, E. florencae Bartlett & Anderson, 1990 is reported for the first time in a second species of Calidris (C. alba) and may be the unidentified species found in C. bairdii, C. alpina and C. pusilla. Other unidentified species were found in Larus pipixcan, Arenaria interpres and Recurvirostra americana. A key to species-groups (three are proposed) and species of Eulimdana in charadriiforms is given. Two pieces of evidence support an earlier suggestion that infections are acquired by neo-natal charadriiforms: (1) the presence of E. wongae in a bird captured as a chick and examined after two months in captivity; and (2) a greater frequency of mixed sex infections with microfilariae in infected juvenile birds (four of seven) than in infected adult birds (five of 88). The latter also supports an earlier suggestion that post-reproductive worms are ephemeral.     

A taxonomic review of ichneumon-flies (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae), parasitoids of gall-forming sawflies (Hymenoptera,Tenthredinidae) on Salix. Part II. Review of the Palaearctic species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saotis</Emphasis> Förster with description of four new species

This is the second communication on Ichneumonidae, parasitoids of gall-making sawflies on Salix. Twenty-one Palaearctic species of the specialized genus Saotis are revised and classified into 12 species groups. Original data on 29 species of Saotis hosts are given: 18 spp. of Phyllocolpa, 10 Pontania and 1 species of Pontopristia. A key to species and subspecies is given and illustrated by 55 figures. For each species the literature, synonymy, diagnosis, material and hosts are given. Four new species are described: Saotis alpinator sp. n., S. boreator sp. n., S. granulator sp. n. and S. subarctor sp. n.     

A review of Palaearctic species of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eurytoma cynipsea</Emphasis> group (Hymenoptera,Eurytomidae) with a description of a new species from Iran

A review of the Palaearctic species of the Eurytoma cynipsea group with 15 species is given. A key to species is provided. A new species, Eurytoma melikai sp. n. from Iran, is described. Eu. melikai sp. n. is most closely related to Eu. hybrida Zer., but differs in the shorter and globular metasoma in the female and the thicker and darker marginal vein in both sexes. The type material is deposited in the collection of the Schmalhausen Zoological Institute, National Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev.     

A review of the species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elasmus</Emphasis> Westwood (Hymenoptera,Eulophidae) from Russia and neighboring countries

Five species of Elasmus are described from Russia as new to science (E. altaicus sp. n., E. ekaterinae sp. n. and E. maritimus sp. n.), Turkmenistan (E. turkmenicus sp. n.), and Mongolia (E. emeljanovi sp. n.). E. nikolskayae Myartseva et Dzhanokmen, 1989 is redescribed. Elasmus obesoceratus Trjapitzin, 1979 is downgraded to a synonym to Elasmus rufiventris Ferrière, 1947. Sixteen species are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Russia, six for Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, five for Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, four for Ukraine and Mongolia, two for Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, China, and South Korea, and also new single records are given for Poland, Slovakia, Abkhazia, Afghanistan, and Iran. New hosts are recorded for seven species: E. flabellatus Fonsocolombe, E. longiclava Graham, E. nudus (Nees), E. platyedrae Ferrière, E. schmitti Ruschka, E. steffani Viggiani, and E. westwoodi Giraud. A key to twenty-six species of Elasmus is compiled.     

Revision of the genus Adorodocia Brenske 1893 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Rutelinae: Adoretini) endemic to Madagascar

Summary. The Adoretini of the Malagasy endemic genus Adorodocia Brenske 1893 is revised. Fourteen new species and one new subspecies are described and compared with their most closely related species: A. constricta n. sp., A. cuccodoroi n. sp., A. flava n. sp., A. liliae n. sp., A. marginata n. sp., A. peyrierasi n. sp., A. pseudoconstricta n. sp., A. pseudoflava n. sp., A. pseudostrigata n. sp., A. recta n. sp., A. robusta n. sp., A. sogai n. sp., A. vadoni n. sp., A. viettei n. sp. and A. vittaticollis flavipes n. ssp. The synonymy between Adoretus strigatus Waterhouse 1878, and Pseudadorodocia aenigma Arrow 1901, is confirmed. Thus, based on the results of this study, the genus Adorodocia includes 16 species, and one of them is represented by two subspecies. Diagnostic characters to separate the species in the genus deal mostly with the shape of parameres, color of body and legs, shape of pronotum and female eighth tergite, setation of pronotum and elytra. Key to species, diagnoses and distribution for each species are provided. Endophallus and female genitalia are illustrated for the first time for this genus.     

A review of the palaearctic species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hadrodactylus</Emphasis> Förster (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae, Ctenopelmatinae) with a description of five new species

30 Palaearctic species of Hadrodactylus are considered. 2 species-group with 6 subgroups are distinguished. 5 new species from the Eastern Palaearctic Region are described: Hadrodactylus arkit sp. n. (Kyrgyzstan), H. caucasicus sp. n. (Caucasus), H. nitidus sp. n., H. sibiricus sp. n., and H. taigensis sp. n. (Eastern Siberia and Far East of Russia). A new combination and a new synonymy Xenoschesis incarnator Aubert, 1985 (recte Hadrodactylus, comb. n.) = Hadrodactylus fugax almator Aubert, 1996, syn. n. are established. An annotated list of species is given with data on the distribution in Russia and adjacent territories. A key to 30 Palaearctic species is given.     

Prosorhynchine trematodes (Digenea: Bucephalidae) from epinephelines (Perciformes: Serranidae) on the Great Barrier Reef,Australia

Six new species of bucephalid trematodes from the prosorhynchine bucephalid genera Prosorhynchus Odhner, 1905 and Neidhartia Nagaty, 1937 are reported from the epinepheline genera Cephalopholis, Cromileptes, Epinephelus and Variola on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Two species of Prosorhynchus and one of Neidhartia are reported from Epinephelus spp., P. jexi n. sp. from E. quoyanus, P. lafii n. sp. from E. fuscoguttatus and N. epinepheli n. sp. from E. maculatus. The other three new species are P. robertsthomsoni n. sp. from Cephalopholis argus, C. cyanostigma and C. miniata, P. conorjonesi n. sp. from Cromileptes altivelis, and P. milleri n. sp. from Variola louti. Extensive examinations of other piscivorous fish species from the Great Barrier Reef have not revealed these six bucephalid species, which appear to be restricted at least to the host genera from which they are reported here.     

A new species of Eumonhystera and three species of Monhystera (Monhysteridae: Nematoda) from Li River,China

A new Eumonhystera species, E. huruii n. sp., together with Monhystera nubiae Eyualem & Coomans, 1996, Monhystera somereni Allgén, 1952, and Monhystera wangi Wu & Hoeppli, 1932 are described from Li river at Guiling, China. Eumonhystera huruii n. sp. is closest to E. barbata Andrássy, 1981, but differs in having shorter anterior setae, much longer reproductive system, shorter and less dorsally bent tail and differently shaped spinneret. M. nubiae and M. wangi are reported here for the first time outside their type locality, whereas M. somereni is reported from China for the first time.     

Systematics of the Eimerian Parasites from North American Snakes of the Family Colubridae,and their Prevalence in the Colubrids of Iowa*

A survey of 117 Iowa snakes, representing 18 species within 12 genera, revealed the presence of 6 species of Eimeria, 5 of which are described as new and 1 of which (E. zamenis) is redescribed. Those species found, the average length-width dimensions of their oocysts ( in micrometers ), and the respective hosts from which they were isolated were as follows: E. attenuata sp. n., 22.2 × 12.6, from 1 of 25 red-sided garter snakes [Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis (Say)] and 1 of 14 northern water snakes [Natrix sipedon sipedon (Linnaeus)]; E. iowaensis sp. n., 17.8 × 14.5, from 1 of 25 redsided garter snakes; E. hydrophis sp. n., 15.4 × 10.9, from 5 of 14 northern water snakes and 1 of 1 diamond-backed water snake [N. rhombifera rhombifera (Hallowell)]; E. helmisophis sp. n., 13.8 × 10.6, from 1 of 5 western worm snakes [Carphophis amoenus vermis (Kennicott)]; E. collanuli sp. n., 33.1 × 18.3, from 1 of 14 prairie ring-neck snakes (Diadophis punctatus arnyi Kennicott), and E. zamenis, 31.0 × 17.0, from 1 of 6 eastern yellow-bellied racers (Coluber constrictor flaviventris Say) and 1 of 1 eastern milk snake [Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum (Lacépède)]. The overall infection rate for the 117 snakes examined was 9.2%; these data are tabulated. In addition, the possible synonymy of E. lampropeltis with E. zamenis is considered, and the probable status of E. attenuata, E. hydrophis, E. zamenis, and E. annea, as parasites of multiple host species, is reviewed with regard to the phylogenetic relationships of the respective hosts from which they have been reported.     

Females drive asymmetrical introgression from rare to common species in Darwin's tree finches

The consequences of hybridization for biodiversity depend on the specific ecological and evolutionary context in which it occurs. Understanding patterns of gene flow among hybridizing species is crucial for determining the evolutionary trajectories of species assemblages. The recently discovered hybridization between two species of Darwin's tree finches (Camarhynchus parvulus and C. pauper) on Floreana Island, Galápagos, presents an exciting opportunity to investigate the mechanisms causing hybridization and its potential evolutionary consequences under conditions of recent habitat disturbance and the introduction of invasive pathogens. In this study, we combine morphological and genetic analysis with pairing observations to explore the extent, direction and drivers of hybridization and to test whether hybridization patterns are a result of asymmetrical pairing preference driven by females of the rarer species (C. pauper). We found asymmetrical introgression from the critically endangered, larger‐bodied C. pauper to the common, smaller‐bodied C. parvulus, which was associated with a lack of selection against heterospecific males by C. pauper females. Examination of pairing data showed that C. parvulus females paired assortatively, whereas C. pauper females showed no such pattern. This study shows how sex‐specific drivers can determine the direction of gene flow in hybridizing species. Furthermore, our results suggest the existence of a hybrid swarm comprised of C. parvulus and hybrid birds. We discuss the influence of interspecific abundance differences and susceptibility to the invasive parasite Philornis downsi on the observed hybridization and recommend that the conservation of this iconic species group should be managed jointly rather than species‐specific.     

Monogenoidean parasites of the gill lamellae of the sheepshead Archosargus probatocephalus (Walbaum) (Perciformes: Sparidae) from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, with descriptions of four new species of Euryhaliotrema Kritsky & Boeger, 2002 (Dactylogyridae)

Examination of the gill lamellae of three sheepshead Archosargus probatocephalus (Walbaum) from the Indian River Lagoon in Florida revealed six species of Monogenoidea: Microcotyle archosargi MacCallum, 1913 (Microcotylidae); Neobenedenia sp. (Capsalidae); and four new species of Euryhaliotrema Kritsky & Boeger, 2002 (Dactylogyridae). The prevalence of all helminths was 100%, except for Neobenedenia sp., which was represented by a single immature specimen. The four new species, Euryhaliotrema carbuncularium n. sp., E. dunlapae n. sp., E. amydrum n. sp. and E. spirulum n. sp., are described and with E. carbunculus (Hargis, 1955) Kritsky & Boeger, 2002 apparently constitute a monophyletic clade of Euryhaliotrema spp. that parasitise sparid hosts in the western hemisphere. The Indian River Lagoon in Florida represents a new locality record for M. archosargi, and the sheepshead is apparently a new host record for a member (Neobenedenia sp.) of the Capsalidae.     

A taxonomic revision of Labiostrongylus (Labiostrongylus) (Yorke & Maplestone, 1926) and Labiostrongylus (Labiomultiplex) n. subg. (Nematoda: Cloacinidae) from macropodid and potoroid marsupials

The morphological characters used to differentiate species in the genus Labiostrongylus Yorke & Maplestone, 1926, parasitic in macropodid and potoroid marsupials, are discussed. The genus is divided into three subgenera Labiostrongylus (Labiostrongylus), L. (Labiomultiplex) n. subg. and L. (Labiosimplex) n. subg. on the basis of the presence or absence of interlabia and the morphology of the oesophagus. A key to the subgenera is given and a detailed revision of two of the subgenera is presented. Keys to each of the subgenera are given, the species discussed being: L. (L.) labiostrongylus) (type-species) (syn. L. (L.) insularis, L. (L.) grandis, L. (L.) macropodis sp. inq. and L. (L.) nabarlekensis n. sp., in the subgenus Labiostrongylus, and L. (Lm.) eugenii, L. (Lm.) novaeguineae, L. (Lm.) onychogale, L. (Lm.) uncinatus, L. (Lm.) billardierii n. sp., L. (Lm.) constrictis n. sp., L. (Lm.) kimberleyensis n. sp., L. (Lm.) thylogale n. sp., and L. (Lm.) potoroi, n. sp., in the subgenus Labiomultiplex.