Species of the genus Crotonia (Acari: Cryptostigmata) from New Zealand

Five new species of Crotonia from New Zealand ( C. cervicorna, C. cupulata, C. longibulbula, C. tuberculata and C. reticulata ) are described as new, and two species ( C. cophinana (Michael 1908) and C. caudatis (Hammer 1966)) are redescribed. Five species groups of the genus are characterized and a key to the adequately described species of the world is presented.     

Synopsis of Anthericum and Chlorophytum (Anthericaceae) in the Horn of Africa, including the description of nine new species

Three species of Anthericum and 32 species of Chlorophytum are recognized in Ethiopia and Somalia. Nine new species of Chlorophytum are described, illustrated and mapped: C. applanatum, C. filifolium, C. hiranense, C. littorale, C. nervosum, C. pendulum, C. petraeurn, C. pterocarpum , and C. ramosissimum . Several names are reduced to synonymy and lectotypifications are made in a number of cases. A key to the taxa is presented. One of the species of Anthericum and 16 of the species of Chlorophyturn are confined to the Somalia-Masai Region and endemic or near-endemic in the study area, while one Anthericum and two Chlorophytums are Afromontane endemics or near-endemics in Ethiopia. Most of the other species are more or less widespread mainly Sudano-Zambezian elements.     

Biochemical polymorphisms and phenetic relationships in rodents of the genusCtenomys from Southern Brazil

Protein variation at 20 loci was analyzed by starch gel electrophoresis in population samples of Ctenomys flamarioni, C. torquatus, C. sp., and C. minutus collected in 25 localities of Southern Brazil. Results show that these four species exhibit higher levels of genetic variability (He = 0.11-0.17) than those reported for most other fossorial rodents. Estimates of similarity coefficients indicate that C. minutus and C. sp. (S = 0.91) are the closest species, while C. flamarioni (S = 0.77) is the most distant from the others. The data presented here support the hypothesis of a relatively recent disjunction of C. minutus from C. sp. Within-species similarity indices are of the same order of magnitude as those found between species. The relatively high levels of heterozygosity observed are not in accordance with the view that subterranean taxa should be less variable than aboveground species due to the uniformity of their environment.     

A review of the bloodsucking midges of Trinidad and Tobago,West Indies (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae)*

Data are presented recording the presence of 49 species of bloodsucking cerato-pogonids in Trinidad, West Indies. Of these, 45 are Culicoides, one is a Leptoconops, and three belong to Forcipomyia (Lasiohelea). Five species are reported from Tobago: three Culicoides, one Leptoconops, and one Lasiohelea. The males of Culicoides benarrochi and C. fluviatilis are described for the first time, and the female of C. debilipalpis is redescribed. Culicoides filariferus and C. pseudodiabolicus are resurrected from synonymy, and characters are presented distinguishing them from C. diabolicus and C. guttatus. Biological data and keys to genera and species are included.     

Systematics of the genus Ceratopteris Brongn. (Parkeriaceae) II. Taxonomy

A revision of the genusCeratopteris is presented based on comparative morphology and geographical distribution. Four species are recognized:C. thalictroides, C. cornuta, C. pteridoides, andC. richardii. Characteristics of taxonomic importance include frond length, shape, and dissection; stipe width; insertion of basal pinnae; bud development; habit; annulus cell number; spore number per sporangium; spore size; and spore surface features. Evolution within species and putative hybridization between species are discussed.     

A numerical taxonomy of the pan species of Crinum based on morphological characters

Fourteen characters of 64 specimens from five taxa; Crinum rautanenianum Schinz, C. paludosum Verdoorn, C. carolo-schmidtii Dinter and C. lugardiae N. E. Brown, previously described within the complex and the more widespread C. macowanii Baker, were subjected to multivariate and univariate statistical analyses in order to circumscribe morphological species as objectively as possible. Results of the clustering and ordination analyses confirm the existence of five distinct phenetic species in the group. The most useful characters that provide taxonomic clarity are identified whilst previously used diagnostic features are discussed. A new key to the species based on examined specimens is provided. Distribution maps of members of this species complex are also presented.     

Seven new calochroid and fulvoid species of Cortinarius

We describe seven new European species of Cortinarius. All species are based on analyses of morphological and DNA sequence data. They all belong to a well-supported clade comprising most species traditionally treated in Cortinarius subgenus Phlegmacium sections Fulvi and Calochroi (i.e. the/Calochroi clade). All taxa are either fulvoid (containing anthraquinoid pigments) or calochroid (without these pigments). Morphological and ecological data are presented for all species and compared with similar species. A dichotomous key is presented for C. calochrous and similar species, including all six newly described calochroid species. The calochroid species C. albertii, C. chailluzii, C. cisticola, C. sancti-felicis, C. selandicus and C. vesterholtii spp. nov., and the fulvoid species C. langeorum sp. nov. are described.     

Phylogeny and species delimitation in the genus Coprinellus with special emphasis on the haired species

We inferred the phylogenetic structure and species limits within Coprinellus by using a newly generated multigene alignment of LSU, ITS and β-tubulin sequences. We sampled 154 specimens of 71 species out of ca. 80 known taxa in Coprinellus and inferred phylogenetic relationships by Bayesian MCMC and ML bootstrapping. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses revealed 17 new species, five of which are described herein. Coprinellus was split into three large clades, one comprising species with an initially continuous sheath of veil (Domestici/Micacei clade) and two consisting of primarily setulose (haired) species (eurysporoid and Core Setulosi clades). The separation of veiled species and the clade structure therein corresponds well to the morphology-based sectional classification, although the inclusion of certain setulose taxa (e.g. C. disseminatus, C. verrucispermus, C. curtus etc.) in these clades necessitates a new morphological definition for the sections. Morphological traits are discussed for all clades of Coprinellus. Species limits in the eurysporoid and Core Setulosi clades are scrutinized in detail. Future directions of species-rank research and an artificial key to the recovered setulose species of Coprinellus is presented.     

Review of the genus Chrysotimus Loew from Tibet (Diptera,Dolichopodidae)

A review of the species of the genus Chrysotimus from Tibet is provided. The following four species are described as new to science: C. motuoensis sp. n., C. tibetensis sp. n., C. xuankuni sp. n., C. zhui sp. n. A key to the eight Tibetan species is presented.     

Nuclear DNA content in some species of the genusCercopithecus (Primates:Cercopithecidae)

Data are presented on the nuclear DNA content (Feulgen positive material) in lymphocytes of nine species ofCercopithecus. On the basis of comparisons betweenCercopithecus talapoin (2n=54), the species recently classified as belonging toC. aethiops (C. sabaeus, C. pygerythrus, C. tantalus, C. griseoviridis; 2n=60) andC. cephus (2n=66) it is hypothesized that a correlation exists between the genome length and the DNA content. The variability in DNA content observed between individuals of the same species is critically discussed.     

New species and records of Charisius Champion from Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae, Alleculinae)

The species of the genus Charisius Champion, from Mexico and Central America are reviewed. The flightless genus Narses Champion, with one included species, N. subalatus Champion, is placed in synonymy with the genus Charisius. Four new species are described and illustrated, C. granulatus and C. punctatus (from Guatemala) and C. apterus and C. howdenorum (from Mexico). Charisius subalatus (Champion) is redescribed and illustrated. The species C. interstitialis Champion is placed in synonymy with C. zunilensis Champion. The genus is redescribed to include the four new species and N. subalatus. New distributional records are presented for all other species of the genus and a revised key is presented for identification of all the species of the genus.