Revision of the endemic Australian subfamily Trachypetinae Schulz s.l. (including Cercobarconinae Tobias) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract. The subfamily Cercobarconinae is synonymized with the Trachypetinae, the constituent genera ( Trachypetus Guérin de Méneville, Megalohelcon Turner and Cercobarcon Tobias) are rediagnosed and the species are revised and redescribed. Rhamphobarcon Tobias is synonymized with Megalohelcon Turner, R.mosaicus Tobias is synonymized with M.torresensis Turner, M.uptoni Tobias is synonymized with M.ichneumonoides Tobias, and four species are newly described: M.mouldsi, C.bilobatus, C.grossi and C.niger. Relationships within the subfamily are discussed, as are those of the Trachypetinae to other braconid subfamilies. Comments on the biology and distribution of species are provided, along with an illustrated key to genera and species.     

The plam-feeding planthopper genus Ommatissus (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Tropiduchidae)

Abstract The tribe Trypetimorphini, the genus Ommatissus , and its two subgenera and eleven species are redescribed or described as new. Evidence for the monophyly of both the genus and of the tribe to which it belongs is examined; it is concluded that while the genus is monophyletic, the monophyly of the tribe is in doubt. Keys for the separation of the three genera of the tribe and for all of the known species of Ommatissus are presented. A new subgenus of Ommatissus is described: O.(Opatissus) , with the type-species O.vietnamicus . Four new species are described: Ommatissus magribus from Morocco, O.kamerunus from Cameroon, O.natalensis from South Africa and O.vietnamicus from Vietnam. The 'Dubas bug', Ommatissus lybicus Bergevin, formerly regarded as a variety of O.binotatus Fieber, is raised to full species status. Trichoduchus is synonymized with Trypetimorpha resulting in the new combinations Trypetimorpha biermani Dammerman, T.china Wu and T.japonicus Ishihara. Trichoduchus japonicus Fennah is synonymized with Trypetimorpha japonicus Ishihara.     

Improved tribal delimitation of the subfamily Dictyopharinae and description of new genera and new species (Homoptera,Fulgoroidea, Dictyopharidae)

Ten new genera, five new subgenera, and five new species are described in the family Dictyopharidae. Three generic names are synonymized. A new name is proposed for the generic homonym. Dictyophara kazeruna Dlabola is transferred to the genus Callodictya Melichar. The genus Sinodictya Matsumura, with the type species Sinodictya tukana Matsumura, is redescribed. A new key to the tribes of the subfamily Dictyopharinae is given. The composition and characters of the tribes Taosini and Lappidini are revised. All the genera of the subfamily Dictyopharinae are listed according to their tribal position. New records are given for some interesting species.     

Review of Australasian spider flies (Diptera, Acroceridae) with a revision of Panops Lamarck

The Australasian spider flies (Diptera: Acroceridae) are reviewed, with all eight currently recognized genera diagnosed and figured. The panopine genus Panops Lamarck, 1804 from Australia and Indonesia is revised with four new species described, increasing the total number of species in the genus to nine: Panops aurumsp. n., Panops danielsisp. n., Panops jadesp. n. and Panops schlingerisp. n. Five species of Panops are redescribed: Panops austrae Neboiss, 1971, Panops baudini Lamarck, 1804, Panops boharti (Schlinger, 1959), comb. n., Panops conspicuus (Brunetti, 1926) and Panops grossi (Neboiss, 1971), comb. n. The monotypic genera Neopanops Schlinger, 1959 and Panocalda Neboiss, 1971 are synonymized with Panops. Keys to genera of Australasian Acroceridae and species of Panops, Helle Osten Sacken, 1896 and Australasian Pterodontia Gray, 1832 are included.     

Systematics of the genera of Bodotriidae (Crustacea: Cumacea)

The cumacean family Bodotriidae includes 382 species in 31 genera grouped in three subfamilies: Bodotriinae, Mancocumatinae and Vaunthompsoniinae. Generic diagnoses are based on few characters that often have overlapping states among genera, complicating the understanding of the relationships within the group. The goals of this study are to illuminate the phylogenetic relationships among the genera of the Bodotriidae using morphological characters and to review the systematics of the family. For this purpose, all species within each genus were studied from the literature to code all the variability of genera for 109 variable morphological characters. Phylogenetic analyses show that there is independent reduction of the pleopods in two clades from a plesiomorphic state of five pairs, while the number of exopods of peraeopods has been reduced gradually in more derived groups of bodotriids. The subfamily Bodotriinae is the most derived and the Vaunthompsoniinae the most basal, and is paraphyletic with the Mancocumatinae embedded within it. No discriminatory characters were found between the subfamilies Mancocumatinae and Vaunthompsoniinae and they are not clearly separated in the phylogeny. Mancocumatinae is synonymized with Vaunthompsoniinae and all the genera of the former Mancocumatinae should be included within Vaunthompsoniinae. Analyses of character evolution justify a few other taxonomic changes. All genera were redescribed based on all the coded characters and a complete list of all valid species for each genus is included. Finally, dichotomous keys for identification to genus level are provided.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 151 , 1–58.     

Revision of the Genera Thyca, Stilifer, Scalenostoma, Mucronalia and Echineulima (Mollusca, Prosobranchia, Eulimidae)

All species that have been described of the genera mentioned in the title are listed and their systematic position given. The species of Stilifer (with 11 species, including S. inflatus sp.n. and 5. concavus sp.n.) are parasites of starfishes. Scalenostoma (3 species) are parasites of stone corals. Thyca (with 8 species) is removed from Capulidae, and included in Eulimidae. T. hawaiiensis sp.n. is described. The species of Thyca are parasites of starfishes. The species of Mucronalia (including M. trilineata sp.n.) are probably parasites of ophiuroids and Echineulima (with 4–6 species, including E. ponderi sp.n.) are parasites of echinoids. All species are figured, their characteristics are given and their host species and distributions are listed. Keys are given to the species of each genus, except Mucronalia. The genera Stilimella Laseron and Hyperlia Pilsbry are synonymized with Scalenostoma and the genera Kiramodulus Kuroda, Granulithyca Habe and Bessomia Berry are considered subgenera of Thyca.     

The taxonomic status of Architipula fragmentosa (Bode) and the family Eoasilidae (Diptera) from the Lower Jurassic

The fossil species Architipula fragmentosa (Bode) comb. nov. (Diptera: Nematocera: Limoniidae) from the German Upper Lias (Lower Jurassic) is redescribed. This species was originally described by Bode (1953) in a new monotypic genus as Eoasilidea fragmentosa and placed in the Brachycera, with Eoasilidea as the type-genus of a new family Eoasilidae. This family is here synonymized with the Limoniidae (Nematocera), and the genus Eoasilidea is synonymized with Architipula Handlirsch .     

New genera, species, and improved phylogeny of Glissomonadida (Cercozoa)

Glissomonadida is an important cercozoan order of predominantly biflagellate gliding bacterivores found largely in soil and freshwater. Their vast diversity is largely undescribed. We studied 23 mostly newly isolated strains by light microscopy and sequenced their 18S rDNA genes; nine represent new species. For two misidentified ATCC 'Heteromita triangularis' strains, we establish novel gliding genera and species: the sandonid Mollimonas lacrima, the only glissomonad forming anterior and posterior pseudopodia, and Dujardina stenomorpha, a strongly flattened member of the new family Dujardinidae. A new strain from Oxfordshire grassland soil is the first reliably identified isolate of the virtually uniflagellate, smooth-gliding glissomonad genus, AllantionSandon, 1924. Phylogenetic analysis and cytological features reveal Allantion to be a member of Allapsidae. Sandona limna and Bodomorpha prolixa from Lake Baikal and Sandona hexamutans from volcanic Costa Rican soil are described as new species. Fifteen glissomonad strains were from grassland beside Lake Baikal. We describe two as new species of Sandona (S. heptamutans and S. octamutans); the others included strains of Sandona and Allapsa species that have already been described; and three were new species of Sandona and Allapsa but these died before being described. We discuss the ecological and evolutionary significance of these new strains.     

A revision of the genus Sige Malmgren (Polychaeta: Phyllodocidae)

The genus Sige Malmgren, 1865 is revised and the type species S.fusigera Malmgren, 1865, redescribed from syntypes and newly collected topotype material. Based on examination of type specimens, six species described from other genera are transferred to Sige: Pirakia brunnea Fauchald, 1972; Vitiazia dogieli Ushakov, 1953; Eulalia longocirrata Stop-Bowitz, 1948; Eumida (Eumidaj parvicirrus Perkins, 1984; Eulalia sandwichensis Ushakov, 1975; Eulalia sigeformis Annekova, 1937. The genus Vitiazia Ushakov, 1953, being monotypic, becomes a junior synonym to Sige. Pirakia lanceolata Hartman & Fauchald, 1971 is synonymized with Sige longocirrata (Støp-Bowitz, 1948) and Sige oliveri sp. nov. is described from western Norway and Sweden. Ten species are recognized as belonging to Sige . The relationships of Sige to other genera are discussed.     

A revision of Thompsonulidae Lang, 1944 (Gopepoda: Harpacticoida)

The harpacticoid copepod subfamily Thompsonulinae Lang, 1944, formerly recognized as belonging to the family Tachidiidae (Lang, 1948) is raised to family rank and redefined to include only the genera Thompsonula T. Scott and Caribbula gen. nov. Thompsonula hyaenae (I. C. Thompson) and T. curticauda (Wilson) are redescribed and refigured. Re-examination of the original material showed that Wilson's Rathbunula agilis is synonymous with T. curticauda and not with T. hyaenae , as suggested by Lang (1948). It is now clear that the two species of Thompsonula have distinct distributions, T. curticauda being confined to the North American continent and T. hyaenae to western Europe and the Mediterranean. The genus Caribbula is established to accommodate the type species, T. hyaenae elongata (Gee) and C. fleegeri sp. nov. which are described and figured. The genus Caribbula is distinguished from Thompsonua , primarily by the unique sexual dimorphism on the exopod of P4 and, at present, is known only from the eastern seaboard of the United States and Gulf of Mexico. The genera Danielssenia, Psammis, Paradanielssenia, Micropsammis and Leptotachidia are tentatively assigned to the family Paranannopidae Por.     

Petraliellidae Harmer, 1957 (Bryozoa: Cheilostomata) from Queensland,Australia

Several species of the family Petraliellidae were first described from the coast of Queensland, including the type species of Sinupetraliella, S. litoralis. These species are redescribed from type, or topotype specimens, and include Petraliella concinna, which has not been certainly found since its introduction in 1891; lectotype material is designated for P. buski and P. magna. Six other species are described from Queensland, P. crassocirca, P. dentilabris, P. dorsiporosa, Mucropetraliella bennetti, M. serrata and M. tuberosa. The species Mucropetraliella tuberosa is a new addition to the Queensland fauna and is described and illustrated here for the first time since its introduction in 1884. The characters of the family Petraliellidae are briefly discussed and the genera to which the Queensland species are assigned is reviewed. A taxonomic key to the ten Queensland petraliellid species described is also provided.     

Phylogeny of the fish leeches (Oligochaeta, Hirudinida, Piscicolidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes and morphology

The phylogeny of the Piscicolidae was analysed from combined 18S rDNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO-I), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit I (ND-I) and morphological data using parsimony. A worldwide distribution of Piscicolidae was represented for the first time. While the family Piscicolidae was supported as a monophyletic group, the traditional subfamilies based on morphology were not supported. The Platybdellinae was polyphyletic and formed four distinct clades, and Bathybdella sawyeri did not group with any other platybdellins. The Piscicolinae was also polyphyletic, also forming four distinct clades. The pontobdellin genus Stibarobdella was shown to be the basal taxon within the Piscicolidae; however, the Pontobdellinae was found to be paraphyletic if Oxytonostoma was included. The genera Aestabdella , Austrobdella, and Malmiana were found to be paraphyletic; the genera Calliobdella, Cystobranchus, and Platybdella were found to be polyphyletic. The species Myzobdella lugubris was not found to be monophyletic. It is proposed that Oxytonostoma be transferred out of the Pontobdellinae, that Aestabdella be synonymized with Pterobdella , that Calliobdella vivida be returned to Cystobranchus , that Gonimosobdella be synonymized with Cystobranchus , and that Piscicolaria be synonymized with Myzobdella . The synonymy of Malmiana and Heptacyclus is confirmed, with Heptacyclus having priority. Piscicola milneri is confirmed to be a separate species from Piscicola geometra .     

A numerical study of the Australian earthworm genera Cryptodrilus Fletcher and Trinephrus Beddard, with a new genus (Megascolecidae:Oligochaeta)

Species of Cryptodrilus and Trinephrus , South-east Australian genera previously suppressed as synonyms of Notoscolex , are redescribed. The affinities of the species of the Cryptodrilus-Trinephrus complex, both within the complex and with other groupings, are determined from considerations of general anatomy complemented by a taxonometric comparison of setal intervals in the species studied. It is concluded that Cryptodrilus must be re-established as an independent genus to include, in addition to the type-species (C. rusticus) , all species of Eastern Australia and Tasmania previously referred to Trinephrus. A key to all constituent species is provided and three species-groups are recognized. Cryptodrilus is unique in the Oligochaeta in having multiple excretory bladders in a segment, a condition hitherto unknown. Megascolides diaphanus Spencer, an avesiculate species from Victoria resembling Cryptodrilus in replication of nephridia, is shown to merit recognition of a new monotypic genus, Pseudocryptodrilus. Both Cryptodrilus and Pseudocryptodrilus are shown from the taxonometric study to have perionychine affinities, having close relationships with the vesiculate Plutellus sensu stricto and the avesiculate Simsia respectively. They show only low affinities with dichogastrine genera, represented by the type-species of Notoscolex and Megascolides. Pseudocryptodrilus is assignable to the Perionychini as previously defined but inclusion of Cryptodrilus would require emendment of the definition of the tribe to include total absence of holonephry, a step deferred pending further investigations. The validity of dividing Notoscolex into separate genera on the basis of the excretory system is confirmed. Association (in the Tribe Dichogastrini) of meronephric genera with tubular prostates (formerly placed in the family Octochaetidae) with those with racemose prostates (formerly the family Megascolecidae) receives strong support.     

Reconciling taxonomy and phylogeny in the bristleworm family Eunicidae (polychaete,Annelida)

Eunicid annelids inhabit diverse marine habitats worldwide, have ecological and economic importance and have been pictured in the news as giant predator worms. They compose a traditional stable taxon recently supported as monophyletic but characterized by plesiomorphies. Most genera within the family have been recovered as paraphyletic in previous studies. We present a phylogenetic hypothesis for eunicid based on molecular (COI, 16S rDNA, 18S rDNA) and morphological data (213 characters), including an explicit attempt to account for serial homology. Eunicidae as well as monophyletic genera Marphysa sensu stricto and Lysidice is redefined based on synapomorphies. Nematonereis is synonymized to Lysidice. Leodice and Nicidion are resurrected to name monophyletic groups including species previously included in Eunice and Marphysa sensu lato. Traditional diagnostic characters such as the absence/presence of peristomial cirri, lateral antennae and branchiae are homoplasies and not informative at the generic level. Different coding of traditional characters (i.e. articulation of prostomial appendages) and novel characters of prostomial features and regionalization of the body support the monophyly of the family and genera level clades. Thus, the phylogenetic hypothesis presented here and the evolution of characters provided background information for taxonomic changes yielding evolutionary meaningful classification and diagnoses for the family and genera.     

Cestodes (Caryophyllidea) of the stinging catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Siluriformes: Heteropneustidae) from Asia

The stinging catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) (Siluriformes: Heteropneustidae) has been reported to harbor as many as 19 species of caryophyllidean tapeworms (Cestoda) of 11 genera in tropical Asia (Indomalayan zoogeographical region). However, a critical review of the species composition has shown that only 1 species, Lucknowia fossilisi Gupta, 1961 (Lytocestidae), is a specific parasite of H. fossilis. Three other species, Djombangia penetrans Bovien, 1926 (syn., Djombangia caballeroi Sahay and Sahay, 1977 ), Pseudocaryophyllaeus ritai Gupta and Singh, 1983 (syn. Pseudocaryophyllaeus lucknowensis Gupta and Sinha, 1984 ), and Pseudocaryophyllaeus tenuicollis (Bovien, 1926) Ash, Scholz, Oros and Kar, 2011 (syn. P. mackiewiczi Gupta and Parmar, 1982 ), were found only once. Lucknowia fossilisi is redescribed on the basis of new material collected in West Bengal and voucher specimens from Maharashtra, India. A total of 9 species of Capingentoides, Lucknowia, Lytocestus, Pseudoadenoscolex, Pseudocaryophyllaeus, Pseudoheteroinverta, and Sukhapatae are newly synonymized with L. fossilisi and previous synonymies of 9 other species, proposed by Hafeezulah (1993), are confirmed. Generic diagnosis of Lucknowia Gupta, 1961 is amended. In addition, 1 species of Pseudobatrachus and 2 species of the monotypic genera Pseudoneckinverta and Sudhaena are invalidated as nomina nuda.     

Revision of the braconid genus Physaraia Shenefelt (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea)

The genus Physaraia Shenefelt (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is revised to include twenty-two species: twenty entirely Afrotropical; one Afrotropical and Palaearctic, and one Indo-Australian. Eleven species, achterbergi, aporia, empeyi, fanitalis, laticlavia, lundi, nana, nigricephala, sarisa, simplex and solanicola are described as new, and eight established species, bilobata (Cameron), capensis (Enderlein), caudata (Szépligeti), excisa (Szépligeti), furcata (Guérin-Méneville), melanocera (Cameron), sulphurea (Szépligeti) and sumatrana (Enderlein) are redescribed. P. longiseta (Szépligeti) is synonymized with P. furcata and P. caudata var. bimaculata (Fahringer) and P. trimaculata (Cameron) are synonymized with P. bilobata, P. furcata var. fasciativentris (Enderlein) is considered to be synonymous with the type species.     

PRIAMIMA, A NEW GENUS OF CORYLOPHIDAE (COLEOPTERA) FROM AUSTRALIA

Abstract
Priamima , a new genus of Corylophidae from east Australia, is described, based on a single species, P. rubicunda (Macleay), which was previously described as a nitidulid. The species is redescribed and figured. A key to the world genera of the tribe Orthoperini is included, and the phylogenetic position of Priamima is discussed. Little is known about the biology of this species, but specimens have been taken from ants' nests.     

Interstitial Dorvilleidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from Europe, Australia and New Zealand

Four dorvilleid species new to science are described from intertidal and subtidal sandy sediments. For three of them new genera are erected: Coralliotrocha natans gen. et sp.n., Microdorvillea otagensis gen. et sp.n. and Pusillotrocha Åkessoni gen. et sp.n. One species represents the first record of the genus Pettiboneia from Australia, P. australiensis sp.n. Ophryotrocha minuta Levi, 1954 redescribed from Helgoland is transferred to a different genus, Arenotrocha gen.n. The present taxa belong to a morphological series of species with an increasing degree of neoteny in the family Dorvilleidae.     

Taxonomic relationships of Ansonia anotis Inger, Tan, and Yambun, 2001 and Pedostibes maculatus (Mocquard, 1890), with a description of a new genus (Amphibia, Bufonidae)

Examination of types and recently collected specimens revealed that Ansonia anotis Inger, Tan, and Yambun, 2001 and Pedostibes maculatus (Mocquard, 1890), both described from Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, are hardly differentiated morphologically. Analyses of a total of 2,427 bp of the 12S rRNA, tRNA(val), and 16S mitochondrial rRNA genes revealed that the two species are very close genetically. Thus A. anotis is regarded as conspecific and is synonymized with P. maculatus. Genetically, this species proved to form a lineage distinct from other bufonids from Southeast Asia, including species of Ansonia and Pedostibes. Because the species has also some unique morphological traits different from known bufonid genera, we propose to establish a new genus for Nectophryne maculata Mocquard, 1890.