On Artigasia horridospina n.sp., Longior semialata n.sp., Mentecle magnifica n.sp., Paraxyo ensicrinatus n.sp. (Oxyurida: Hystrignathidae) and Pulchrocephala? pulchrocephala Travassos, 1925 (Oxyurida: Pulchrocephalidae)

Summary Four new species of hystrignathid nematodes are described from the midgut caeca of Passalus unicornus (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from St. Lucia, West Indies. Artigasia horridospina n.sp. is differentiated from A. dispar van Waerebeke, 1973 by virtue of fewer rows of spines in the oesophageal region and in possessing lateral alae, and from A. insignia Travassos & Kloss, 1958 in the extent of the oesophageal spiens and in having the lateral alae commence more anteriorly. The first annule is also much shallower than that of A. insignia. Longior semialata n.sp. is differentiated from L. longicollis Travassos & Kloss, 1958 on body length, b ratio, egg size and the starting point of the lateral alae. Mentecle magnifica n.sp. differs from M. parvus Travassos & Kloss, 1958 in having the spines of the oesophageal region extending much further down the body and in having ridged eggs. It is also longer and relatively thinner. Paraxyo ensicrinatus n.sp. differs from P. monodelpho Travassos & Kloss, 1958 in having a proportionately longer tail. The spines in the oesophageal region also extend considerably further posteriorly than in P. monodelpho.Two types of male associated with the above nematodes are described and illustrated, but not assigned to females. Pulchrocephala? pulchrocephala Travassos, 1925 is redescribed from the gut of the mole-cricket Scapteriscus vicinus.Scanning electron micrographs of four of the described species are given and briefly discussed. ac]19801024     

Olpidiopsis antithamnionis n. sp. (Oomycetes,Olpidiopsidaceae), a parasite of Antithamnion floccosum (O. F. Müll.) Kleen from Newfoundland

Summary Olpidiopsis antithamnionis n. sp. (Oomycetes, Olpidiopsidaceae) parasitic on Antithamnion floccosum (O. F. Müll.) Kleen (Rhodophyta, Ceramiaceae) is described from three sites in Newfoundland, Canada, and from culture.Axial cells of the main and determinate branches of the host are the primary sites of fungal attack, although tetrasporangia and rhizoidal cells are also susceptible. Successful re-infection of A. floccosum was achieved in the laboratory although A. boreale and the trailliella-phase of Bonnemaisonia hamifera, both occurring with A. floccosum in the field, were immune. Regeneration of the host cells was observed, a phenomenon not previously reported in the fungal parasitism of other filamentous benthic marine algae.Studies in Biology from Memorial University of Newfoundland No. 256.     

Tabanidae (Diptera) of Amazônia XX. description of Tabanus pseudonebulosus n.sp

Tabanus pseudonebulosus, new species, is described based on 217 female specimens and 5 males collected in Venezuela (Guarico, Aguaio, Santa Elena, and Palmarito) and in Brazil (Parcí: Santana do Araguaia, Serra das Andorinhas in S?o Geraldo do Araguaia, Serra Norte Carajás and Gorotire; Amazonas: Canutama; Mato Grosso do Sul: Corumbá), mostly in open vegetation, scrub forest and in rocky environments. Observed intraspecific variation in the specimens is presented and related to collection localities, and morphological differences are diagnosed in relation to the similar species Tabanus nebulosus DeGeer 1776 and T. importunus Wiedemann 1828. Morphometrical data and indices for specimens in different localities are provided. Drawings and photo of the new species are presented.     

Bakkeius moragai n. gen. et n. sp. and Pojmanskia riosae n. gen. et n. sp. (Trematoda: Digenea: Brachylaimoidea) in birds from the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

We describe 2 new species of leucochloridiid-like brachylaimoid digeneans parasitizing a variety of birds in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, each of which we assign to a new genus. According to Pojmanska's (Pojmanska, T. 2002a. Superfamily Brachylaimoidea Joyeux & Foley, 1930. In Keys to the Trematoda, D. I. Gibson, A. Jones, and R. A. Bray [eds.]. CAB International and The Natural History Museum, London, U.K., p. 31-36.) key for the Brachylaimoidea, we are unable to place either species in any family. One species most closely resembles members of Leucochloridium by having well-developed suckers, lacking an esophagus, and having cecal shoulders, gonads at the posterior end, and the genital pore at posterior end of body but differs by having symmetrical testes, a posttesticular ovary, and a terminal genital pore; thus, we propose the genus Bakkeius for it. The second new genus resembles members of Michajlovia by having ventral genital pores but differs by having extracecal uterine loops in the forebody, a cirrus sac containing the pars prostatica and seminal vesicle, and gland cells surrounding the genital pore; thus, we propose Pojmanskia for it. These new genera must currently be treated as incertae sedis according to Pojmanska (op. cit.); however, we feel that future phylogenetic analyses will require emendation of the family diagnosis for Leucochloridiidae to include those taxa with terminal and ventral genital pores and with preovarian testes.     

Neotropical Monogenoidea. 32. Cacatuocotyle paranaensis n. g., n. sp. (Dactylogyridae,Ancyrocephalinae) from Characidium spp. (Teleostei,Characidae) from the State of Paraná, Brazil

Cacatuocotyle paranaensis n. sp. (Dactylogyridae, Ancyrocephalinae) is described from the gills of the characid fishes Characidium lanei Travassos and C. pterostictum Gomes collected from two streams on the coast of the State of Paraná, Brazil. Cacatuocotyle n. g. is proposed for species possessing a single cephalic lobe (terminal), one pair of head organs, a convex haptor with thickened muscular anterior margins, one anchor-bar complex (ventral), seven pairs of ventral hooks (one pair associated with the anchor shafts; one central pair anterior to the bar; five submarginal bilateral pairs) and a sinistral vaginal aperture.     

Poecilorhynchus perplexus n. g., n. sp. (Trypanorhyncha: Eutetrarhynchidae) from the brownbanded bambooshark, Chiloscyllium punctatum Müller & Henle, from Australia

A new genus of trypanorhynch cestodes is described from the brownbanded bambooshark, Chiloscyllium punctatum Müller & Henle (Hemiscylliidae) from off Nickol Bay, Western Australia. Poecilorhynchus perplexus n. g., n. sp. is placed in the Eutetrarhynchidae Guiart, 1927 because it is characterised by an elongate, acraspedote scolex with two oval bothria, the absence of bothrial pits, elongate bulbs, the presence of gland-cells within the bulbs and prebulbar organs, retractor muscles inserting at the base of each bulb and an acraspedote strobila. It can be distinguished from all other genera in this family by its possession of a poeciloacanthous typical armature, with a chainette composed of two longitudinal files of uncinate hooks on the external tentacular surface.     

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) chetumalensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) from the Mayan sea catfish,Ariopsis assimilis,off the Caribbean coast of México

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) chetumalensis n. sp. is described from the stomach and intestine of the Mayan sea catfish Ariopsis assimilis (Günther, 1864), from the Bay of Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México. It is characterized by bifurcate deirids; males have 3 pairs of preanal papillae, 6 pairs of postanal papillae, 2 pairs of transverse elongate adanal papillae surrounding the cloacal aperture, wide caudal alae, spicules of unequal length, and a gubernaculum, and females have a rounded tail bearing a digit-like process terminating in 2 spines. This is the seventh Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) species reported from fishes in Mexico and the first one recorded in sea catfishes of the Ariidae.     

Microbial transformation ofβ-sitosterol byNocardia sp. M 29

Summary The degradation and conversion of -sitosterol to C-17-ketosteroids byNocardia sp. M 29 was studied. Maximal enzymatic activity was found after 24 h of incubation. Although the key enzymes involved in the decomposition of -sitosterol were inducible, no separate induction of side chain hydroxylase or 9-hydroxylase was possible. Inhibition of the steroid ring cleaving enzyme by ,-dipyridyl resulted in low yields of 4-androstene-3,17-dione and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione (total yield 22%). Addition of lipophilic organic adsorbents (Amberlite XAD-2 and XAD-4) stimulated the 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione formation (maximal 50% within 120 h of incubation). Furthermore, 3-oxo-23,24-dinor-1,4-choladienic acid and 3-oxo-23,24-dinor-1,4-choladienic acid methyl ester were accumulated in the presence of Amberlite XAD-2 in moderate yields (total 11%).     

Redescription of Rugopharynx australis (Mönnig, 1926) and the description of R. moennigi n. sp. (Nematoda: Strongyloidea) from kangaroos (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) in Australia

Systematic Parasitology - Rugopharynx australis (Mönnig, 1926) (Nematoda: Strongyloidea) is redescribed based on specimens from the type host, Osphranter rufus (Desmarest), together with...     

Neotropical monogenea. 13. Rhinonastes pseuodocapsaloideum n. gen., n. sp. (Dactylogyridae, Ancyrocephalinae), a nasal parasite of curimat?, Prochilodus nigricans Agassiz (Cypriniformes, Prochilodontidae), in Brazil

Rhinonastes pseudocapsaloideum n. sp. (Dactylogyridae, Ancyrocephalinae) is described from the nasal cavity of Prochilodus nigricans Agassiz (Cypriniformes, Prochilodontidae) in Brazil. Rhinonastes n. gen. is proposed for species possessing a dextroventral genital pore, a bilobed testis, a ventral C-shaped ovary lying between the 2 testicular lobes, and a disc-shaped haptor armed with a ventral anchor-bar complex and 14 hooks.     

Leaves of Cercocarpus mixteca n. sp. (Rosaceae) from Oligocene sediments, near Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla

A new species of Cercocarpus, Cercocarpus mixteca Velasco de León & Cevallos-Ferriz, is described based on leaf impressions from the Los Ahuehuetes locality, near Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla, Mexico. The lamina is obovate, 1.3cm in length by 0.5cm in width, has a serrate margin in its distal fourth, craspedodromous venation with a single straight mid-vein and two to four pairs of secondary ones, and areols that tend to be quadrangular in shape. A phenetic analysis of the agglomerative, non-hierarchical type, with mean linkage, is applied using 22 OTUs and 34 character states. The morphological characters observed on the leaves of the new fossil plants support the recognition of a new taxon closely related to the extant Cercocarpus paucidentatus growing naturally in northern Mexico. Its microphyll size corresponds with the temperate to xeric climate postulated for the Los Ahuehuetes locality; this further suggests that some taxa, like Cercocarpus, have a long history in low latitude North America. In this particular case, the extant Cercocarpus fothergilloides and Cercocarpus macrophyllus could, as they were able to colonise new humid and xeric areas, represent descendants of C. mixteca.     

Triloculotrema japanicae n. g., n. sp. (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) from the olfactory sacs of the Japanese topeshark Hemitriakis japanica (Müller & Henle, 1839) (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae)

Triloculotrema japanicae n. g., n. sp. (Monogenea: Monocotylidae: Merizocotylinae) is described. The parasite inhabits the olfactory sacs of the Japanese topeshark Hemitriakis japanica (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae), and possesses a distinctive haptor with only three loculi. Some comments are made on the evolution of monocotylid monogeneans.     

Dinoflagellate,Euglenid, or Cercomonad? The Ultrastructure and Molecular Phylogenetic Position of Protaspis grandis n. sp.

Protaspis is an enigmatic genus of marine phagotrophic biflagellates that have been tentatively classified with several different groups of eukaryotes, including dinoflagellates, euglenids, and cercomonads. This uncertainty led us to investigate the phylogenetic position of Protaspis grandis n. sp. with ultrastructural and small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequence data. Our results demonstrated that the cells were dorsoventrally flattened, shaped like elongated ovals with parallel lateral sides, 32.5-55.0 mum long and 20.0-35.0 mum wide. Moreover, two heterodynamic flagella emerged through funnels that were positioned subapically, each within a depression and separated by a distinctive protrusion. A complex multilayered wall surrounded the cell. Like dinoflagellates and euglenids, the nucleus contained permanently condensed chromosomes and a large nucleolus throughout the cell cycle. Pseudopodia containing numerous mitochondria with tubular cristae emerged from a ventral furrow through a longitudinal slit that was positioned posterior to the protrusion and flagellar apparatus. Batteries of extrusomes were present within the cytoplasm and had ejection sites through pores in the cell wall. The SSU rDNA phylogeny demonstrated a very close relationship between the benthic P. grandis n. sp. and the planktonic Cryothecomonas longipes. These ultrastructural and molecular phylogenetic data for Protaspis indicated that the current taxonomy of Protaspis and Crythecomonas is in need of re-evaluation. The composition and identity of Protaspis is reviewed and suggestions for future taxonomic changes are presented. Problems within the genus Cryothecomonas are highlighted as well, and the missing data needed to resolve ambiguities between the two genera are clarified.     

The ‘Pseudorhabdosynochus cupatus group’ (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) on Epinephelus fasciatus, E. howlandi, E. rivulatus and E. merra (Perciformes: Serranidae) off New Caledonia, with descriptions of Pseudorhabdosynochus cyathus n. sp. and P. calathus n. sp.

Pseudorhabdosynochus cupatus (Young, 1969) is characterised by small lamellosquamodiscs made up of central telescopic rings and peripheral rows of rodlets, and a sclerotised vagina in the shape of a thin-walled coiled tube with three accessory chambers. Two new species of Pseudorhabdosynochus are herein described from epinepheline fish off New Caledonia, South Pacific, and are considered part of the 'P. cupatus group'. P. cyathus n. sp. from Epinephelus howlandi has lamellosquamodiscs made up of four telescopic rings and four rows of separate rodlets; there are dorsal tegumental scales. This species was found only in young hosts; older hosts harbour P. venus Hinsinger & Justine, 2006. P. calathus n. sp. from Epinephelus rivulatus has lamellosquamodiscs made up of four telescopic rings and five rows of separate rodlets; the tegument is smooth. The three species, P. cupatus, P. calathus and P. cyathus, are strictly species specific; although morphologically very similar, they can be distinguished by features of the tegumental scales and measurements of the vagina and haptoral hard parts. P. melanesiensis (Laird, 1958) from E. merra is close to the 'P. cupatus group' according to the morphology of its sclerotised vagina but is distinguished by its squamodiscs which lack telescopic rings. Rare specimens found in E. merra are tentatively attributed to P. coioidesis Bu et al., 1999. A paratype of P. coioidesis is figured for comparison. E. merra, E. fasciatus, E. rivulatus and E. howlandi each have a Pseudorhabdosynochus species of the P. cupatus lineage: these are the dominant species in each host. In addition, E. merra, E. fasciatus and E. howlandi harbour a rare species of Pseudorhabdosynochus, respectively P. cf. coioidesis, P. caledonicus Justine, 2005 and P. venus; these rare species are morphologically unrelated to each other and to the 'P. cupatus group'.     

Buschmannia roeringi n. gen., n. sp. (Archaeocyatha) aus der Nama-Gruppe Südwestafrikas

From the Buschmann-Klippe-Formation, mainly considered as Late Precambrian in age until now, the ArchaeocyathaBuschmannia roeringi, n. gen., n. sp. is described. Based on this discovery, an Early Cambrian age for the Nama-group is assumed.     

Comparative paleohistology in osteoderms of Pleistocene Panochthus sp. Burmeister, 1886 and Neuryurus sp. (Xenarthra,Glyptodontidae)

Xenarthran osteoderms are integumentary bones with high fossilization potential presenting a high degree of morphological and histological diversity. Here, new data on the osteoderms histology of two glyptodonts, Panochthus and Neuryurus are presented. The poor spatial organization of the mineralized fibers and a large trabecular area in the middle zone identified in Neuryurus indicate a different bone pattern than the one found in Panochthus, which is mainly characterized by a middle zone with less spongiosa. Through the Bone Profiler program, the degree of compactness of the specimens was obtained, with about 70% for Neuryurus sp. and approximately 90% for Panochthus sp., showing the difference in bone pattern. These values confirm the visible difference in the histological patterns of these taxa, especially in the middle zone. This work demonstrates the microstructural variation studied in osteoderms and shows the importance of paleohistology as a starting point for a better understanding of extinct taxa.