New species of Xanthoparmelia (lichenized Ascomycotina,Parmeliaceae) from Africa

Abstract:The following new species of Parmeliaceae are described from Africa:Xanthoparmelia bainskloofensis Elix & T. H. Nash, X. boyeri Elix, X. dubitella Elix, X. kleinswartbergensis Elix, X. lobuliferella Elix, X. malawiensis Elix, X. micromaculata Elix andX. waboomsbergensis Elix. The new combination Xanthoparmelia patula (Brusse) Elix is made and X. hypoleiella Elix, X. neoconspersa (Gyeln.) Hale, X. neocumberlandia T. H. Nash & Elix and X. sipmanii T. H. Nash & Elix are reported from Africa for the first time.     

Revision of the Buellia epigaea -group (lichenized ascomycetes,Physciaceae) 2. The species in Australia

Abstract:Three species of the Buellia epigaea -group, Buellia dijiana Trinkaus,Buellia georgei Trinkaus, Mayrhofer & Elix, and Buellia lobata Trinkaus & Elix, are described as new from Australia. The taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, chemistry, biogeography, and ecology of the three taxa are discussed. Characters which distinguish these species from the corresponding taxa in the northern hemisphere include secondary compounds (presence of xanthones) and filiform conidia. An extended key is provided for the whole Buellia epigaea group as well as other terricolous species of the genus.     

Amphorothecium,a new pyrenocarpous lichen genus from New South Wales,Australia

Abstract:Amphorothecium occultum P. M. McCarthy, Kantvilas & Elix gen. et sp. nov. is described from deeply shaded, saxicolous bryophytes in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. This genus is characterized by a trentepohlioid photobiont, distinctive thallus chemistry, pale, simple perithecia, largely unbranched paraphyses and periphyses, thin-walled, non-amyloid asci and very large, multiseptate ascospores. Its systematic position is uncertain.     

Further records of foliicolous lichens and lichenicolous fungi from Australasia,with an updated checklist for continental Australia

Abstract:Based on collections gathered by H. Streimann and J. A. Elix in Papua New Guinea, Australia (including Tasmania), and Vanuatu, five new foliicolous lichen species are described: Calenia bullatinoides Lücking, Eremothecella cyaneoides Lücking, Fellhanera tasmanica Lücking & Elix,Fellhaneropsis australiana Lücking, and Porina vanuatuensis Lücking. In addition, the following new combinations are proposed: Coenogonium isidiiferum (Lücking) Lücking [Bas.: Dimerella isidiifera Lücking], Coenogonium lisowskii (Vězda) Lücking [Bas.: Dimerella lisowskii Vězda], Coenogonium queenslandicum (Kalb & Vězda) Lücking [Bas.: Dimerella queenslandica Kalb & Vězda], Echinoplaca tetrapla (Zahlbr.) Lücking [Bas.: Gonolecania tetrapla Zahlbr.], and Porina subepiphylla var. australiensis (Lücking & Vězda) Lücking [Bas.: Porina lucida var. australiensis Lücking & Vězda]. Coenogonium piliferum (Vězda) Kalb & Lücking [Bas.: Dimerella pilifera Vězda] is placed into synonymy with Coenogonium epiphyllum Vain. An updated checklist of foliicolous lichens from Australia includes 202 species and excludes five previously reported taxa.     

LABYRINTHA IMPLEXA(PORPIDIACEAE), A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES FROM NEW ZEALAND

LabyrinthaMalcolm, Elix & Owe-Larsson, a new genus in the Porpidiaceae, is described. It is based on the crustose taxonL. implexaMalcolm, Elix & Owe-Larsson, a saxicolous species from acidic rocks in alpine and subalpine areas in New Zealand.Labyrinthais distinguished from closely related genera by a combination of characters: cephalodia, immersed apothecia, large, simple ascospores (60-70×30-35 μm), halonate when young and dark-pigmented when mature, fusiform conidia, no cortex, no thallus chemistry, densely packed anticlinal hyphae, and a previously undescribed thallus anatomy in which the photobiont is arranged in anastomosing vertical sheets.     

Hemiuridae (Digenea) from marine fishes of the southern Indian Ocean: Genus Lecithochirium Lühe, 1901 (Lecithochiriinae)

The genus Lecithochirium is briefly discussed and a provisional key to species groups is presented. The following species are described, figured and/or recorded from regions of the southern Indian Ocean: Lecithochirium genypteri from Xiphiurus capensis, Cape Province; L. magnus from Gymnothorax woodwardi and G. javanicus, Western Australia; L. parafusiforme n. sp. from G. flavimarginatus, Natal (type-host and locality) and G. woodwardi, Western Australia; L. macrorchis from G. woodwardi; Leithochirium sp. (ghanense-group?) from Platycephalus bassensis, South Australia; L. kawakawa from Euthynnus affinis and Chrysoblephus anglicus, Natal; Lecithochirium sp. (synodi-group?) from Saurida undosquamis, Natal; L. gymnapisti n. sp. from Gymnapistes marmoratus, Western Australia; L. jaffense from Trachichthodes gerrardi, South Australia and Blennioclinus brachycephalus, Cape Province; Lecithochirium sp. (group unknown) from Alectis ciliaris, Natal.     

Three new species of Tilletia on Eriachne from north-western Australia

Three new species of Tilletia are described from species of Eriachne (Poaceae) in the arid tropics of north-western Australia. In Western Australia, T. mactaggartii sp. nov. infects E. burkittii, and T. geeringii sp. nov. infects E. festucacea. Tilletia marjaniae sp. nov. infects E. pulchella subsp. dominii in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. These species are the first records of Tilletia on Eriachne. Phylogenetic relationships of these species were inferred from internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal RNA region and large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences.     

Remarks on “ Two new species of Tornidae (Caenogastropoda,Rissooidea) from Espírito Santo,Brazil,” by Luiz Ricardo Simone ( ZooKeys 238: 77–85, 2012) and a plea for improvement in ZooKeys editorial policy

The monotreme genus Zaglossus, the largest egg-laying mammal, comprises several endangered taxa today known only from New Guinea. Zaglossus is considered to be extinct in Australia, where its apparent occurrence (in addition to the large echidna genus Megalibgwilia) is recorded by Pleistocene fossil remains, as well as from convincing representations in Aboriginal rock art from Arnhem Land (Northern Territory). Here we report on the existence and history of a well documented but previously overlooked museum specimen (skin and skull) of the Western Long-Beaked Echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii) collected by John T. Tunney at Mount Anderson in the West Kimberley region of northern Western Australia in 1901, now deposited in the Natural History Museum, London. Possible accounts from living memory of Zaglossus are provided by Aboriginal inhabitants from Kununurra in the East Kimberley. We conclude that, like Tachyglossus, Zaglossus is part of the modern fauna of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, where it apparently survived as a rare element into the twentieth century, and may still survive.     

Rotifera from Western Australian wetlands with descriptions of two new species

The rotifer fauna of 100 fresh and saline wetlands of southwest Western Australia is documented. A systematic list of 83 recorded taxa is given, with eleven new records for the continent and two new species (Brachionus pinneenaus n. sp. and Lecane boorali n. sp.) described and figured. Species assemblages are distinct from those of eastern Australia, with predominant taxa halophilous or indicative of ephemeral waters. Evolutionary and biogeographical relationships of the Western Australian rotifers are considered.     

Posidonia australis seed predation in seagrass habitats of Two Peoples Bay,Western Australia

Posidonia australis seed predation experiments conducted in three seagrass habitats (P. australis, Posidonia sinuosa, Halophila ovalis) and bare sand in Two Peoples Bay, Western Australia, showed higher predation rates in seagrass than bare sand, supporting general conclusions from two previous predation studies in Western Australia. However, much higher rates were noted in H. ovalis, compared to previous observations of very low rates in H. ovalis on Rottnest Island, Western Australia. We attribute these differences to gammaridean amphipods (family Lysianassidae) that were present in a detrital layer within the H. ovalis in Two Peoples Bay. Our data from Two Peoples Bay continues to add to the growing body of information showing high seed predation rates in most seagrass habitats by a diverse group of crustacean species.     

Stock structure of Grey Mackerel, Scomberomorus semifasciatus (Pisces: Scombridae) across northern Australia, based on otolith stable isotope chemistry

The stable isotopes of δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C in sagittal otolith carbonates were used to determine the stock structure of Grey Mackerel, Scomberomorus semifasciatus. Otoliths were collected from Grey Mackerel at ten locations representing much of their distributional and fisheries range across northern Australia from 2005 to 2007. Across this broad range (～ 6500 km), fish from four broad locations—Western Australia (S1), Northern Territory and Gulf of Carpentaria (S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7), Queensland east coast mid and north sites (S8, S9) and Queensland east coast south site (S10)—had stable isotope values that were significantly different indicating stock separation. Otolith stable isotopes differed more between locations than among years within a location, indicating temporal stability across years. The spatial separation of these populations indicates a complex stock structure across northern Australia. Stocks of S. semifasciatus appear to be associated with large coastal embayments. These results indicate that optimal fisheries management may require a review of the current spatial arrangements, particularly in relation to the evidence of shared stocks in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Furthermore, as the population of S. semifasciatus in Western Australia exhibited high spatial separation from those at all the other locations examined, further research activities should focus on investigating additional locations within Western Australia for an enhanced determination of stock delineation.     

MYELOCONIS,A NEW GENUS OF PYRENOCARPOUS LICHENS FROM THE TROPICS

MyeloconisP. M. McCarthy & Elix gen. nov. is described from the Neotropics and the eastern Paleotropics. Four new species,M. erumpens, M. fecunda, M. guyanenisandM. parva, are recognized. The genus is characterized by a medulla containing previously unknown yellow or orange pigments and perithecioid ascomata with a dark, dense, almost pseudostromatal wall, a basally anastomosing, but otherwise free, hamathecium, uniformly thin-walled asci and elongate, muriform ascospores. While its affinities are uncertain, the ascomata and their contents suggest a rather close relationship withPorinaMüll. Arg. andClathroporinaMüll. Arg. (Trichotheliaceae).     

Genetic diversity and structure of the globally invasive tree, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paraserianthes lophantha</Emphasis> subspecies <Emphasis Type="Italic">lophantha</Emphasis>, suggest an introduction history characterised by varying propagule pressure

An emerging insight in invasion biology is that intra-specific genetic variation, human usage, and introduction histories interact to shape genetic diversity and its distribution in populations of invasive species. We explore these aspects for the tree species Paraserianthes lophantha subsp. lophantha, a close relative of Australian wattles (genus Acacia). This species is native to Western Australia and is invasive in a number of regions globally. Using microsatellite genotype and DNA sequencing data, we show that native Western Australian populations of P. lophantha subsp. lophantha are geographically structured and are more diverse than introduced populations in Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria), the Hawaiian Islands, Portugal, and South Africa. Introduced populations varied greatly in the amount of genetic diversity contained within them, from being low (e.g. Portugal) to high (e.g. Maui, Hawaiian Islands). Irrespective of provenance (native or introduced), all populations appeared to be highly inbred (F _IS ranging from 0.55 to 0.8), probably due to selfing. Although introduced populations generally had lower genetic diversity than native populations, Bayesian clustering of microsatellites and phylogenetic diversity indicated that introduced populations comprise a diverse array of genotypes, most of which were also identified in Western Australia. The dissimilarity in the distribution and number of genotypes in introduced regions suggests that non-native populations originated from different native sources and that introduction events differed in propagule pressure.     

Alkaloids of Duboisia hopwoodii

Leaf and root collections of Duboisia hopwoodii were made from Alice Springs in central and Western Australia. From D. hopwoodii collected at Alice Springs were isolated nornicotine, nicotine, myosmine and N-formylnornicotine; cotinine, N-acetylnornicotine, anabasine, anatabine, anatalline and bipyridyl were detected by GC/MS. Root material contained hyoscyamine, scopolamine, nicotine and nornicotine; N-formylnornicotine was detected by GC/MS. D. hopwoodii from Western Australia yielded nicotine, nornicotine, hyoscyamine and metanicotine. Root material contained nornicotine, hyoseyamine, myosmine and N-formylnornicotine, GC/MS detected cotinine and N-acetylnornicotine.     

The Caprellidea (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from Western Australia and Northern Territory, Australia

The caprellidean fauna of Western Australia and Northern Territory, Australia, is investigated here. The study reports 26 species in 19 genera. Six new species (Aciconula australiensis n. sp., Caprella traudlae n. sp., Pseudaeginella vaderi n. sp., Orthoprotella nana n. sp., Pseudoprotella soela n. sp. and Pseudoprotomima grandimana n. sp.) are described as new for Science. Lateral view figures of all the species, together with a key to species level, are also provided.     

Molecular identification and prevalence of Isospora sp. in pigs in Western Australia using a PCR-RFLP assay

Little is known about the prevalence of Isospora in domestic pigs in Western Australia. A total of 289 pig faecal samples were collected from pre- and post-weaned pigs and sows from 1 indoor and 3 outdoor piggeries located in the south-west region of Western Australia. Faecal samples were screened using a PCR-RFLP assay based on the ITS-1 rDNA locus. An overall prevalence of 10.4% (30/289) was identified. Isospora was detected in 16.3% (20/123) of pre-weaned animals and 6.4% (10/156) of post-weaned animals. PCR-RFLP analysis confirmed the presence of Isospora suis in 86.7% of the positive Isospora isolates. Isospora was significantly associated with diarrhea and the findings of this study suggest that management factors such as cleaning practices, flooring types and stocking densities need to be investigated in the porcine host to find new and improved measures for control.     

Uncovering cryptic evolutionary diversity in extant and extinct populations of the southern Australian arid zone Western and Thick-billed Grasswrens (Passeriformes: Maluridae: Amytornis)

The Western and Thick-billed Grasswrens (Aves: Passeriformes: Maluridae: Amytornis textilis and Amytornis modestus, respectively) exemplify issues surrounding the evolution, biogeography and conservation of Australia’s arid and semi-arid zone fauna. The two species together have historically occurred across much of southern Australia. They showed high intraspecific taxonomic diversity and short range endemism but suffered high rates of recent anthropogenic extinction. Of 11 named and 1 un-named subspecies, 5 are extinct and 3 are vulnerable or critically endangered. To clarify taxonomic issues, and to understand their pre-extinction phylogeography and identify extant populations and taxa of conservation value, we sequenced ~1,000 bp of the mtDNA ND2 gene from all extant populations and all but one extinct population. We confirmed reciprocal monophyly of A. modestus and A. textilis and identified strong phylogeographic structure associated with morphological divergence within each species. Populations of A. t. myall at the western edge of their range in South Australia may preserve “ghost” lineages of extinct subspecies from Western Australia as a result of ancient gene flow. Our results support recent taxonomic revisions, and highlight the critical importance of including samples of extirpated populations and extinct species to fully understand and interpret extant diversity. Conservation and management plans should recognise and seek to preserve the unique evolutionary diversity present in surviving populations.     

European Origin of Bradyrhizobium Populations Infecting Lupins and Serradella in Soils of Western Australia and South Africa

We applied a multilocus phylogenetic approach to elucidate the origin of serradella and lupin Bradyrhizobium strains that persist in soils of Western Australia and South Africa. The selected strains belonged to different randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR clusters that were distinct from RAPD clusters of applied inoculant strains. Phylogenetic analyses were performed with nodulation genes (nodA, nodZ, nolL, noeI), housekeeping genes (dnaK, recA, glnII, atpD), and 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacer sequences. Housekeeping gene phylogenies revealed that all serradella and Lupinus cosentinii isolates from Western Australia and three of five South African narrow-leaf lupin strains were intermingled with the strains of Bradyrhizobium canariense, forming a well supported branch on each of the trees. All nodA gene sequences of the lupin and serradella bradyrhizobia formed a single branch, referred to as clade II, together with the sequences of other lupin and serradella strains. Similar patterns were detected in nodZ and nolL trees. In contrast, nodA sequences of the strains isolated from native Australian legumes formed either a new branch called clade IV or belonged to clade I or III, whereas their nonsymbiotic genes grouped outside the B. canariense branch. These data suggest that the lupin and serradella strains, including the strains from uncultivated L.cosentinii plants, are descendants of strains that most likely were brought from Europe accidentally with lupin and serradella seeds. The observed dominance of B. canariense strains may be related to this species' adaptation to acid soils common in Western Australia and South Africa and, presumably, to their intrinsic ability to compete for nodulation of lupins and serradella.