Indian species of the genusMirufens [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae]

An account is given of 4 new species ofMirufens Girault:M. brevifuniculata Khan & Shafee, M.albiscutellum Khan & Shafee,M. magniclavata Khan & Shafee andM. longiclavata Khan & Shafee. A key to Indian species of the genusMirufens is also provided.     

The Vegetation of Prokop Valley nature reserve in Prague

A survey of the present vegetation of the Prokop Valley Nature Reserve revealed the following natural communities:Erysimo crepidifolii-Festucetum valesiacae Klika 1933,Alysso saxatilis-Festucetum Klika 1941,Allio montani-Sedetum albi Klika 1939,Helianthemo cani-Caricetum humilis ass. nova,Helianthemo cani-Seslerietum calcariae Klika 1933,Primulo veris-Seslerietum calcariae Zlatník 1928,Prunion spinosae Soó (1931) 1940 em.Tx. 1952,Prunion fruticosae Tx. 1952,Scabioso ochrolecae-Brachypodietum pinnati Klika 1932,Salvio nemorosae-Melicetum transsilvanicae ass. nova,Lathyro versicoloris-Quercetum pubescentis Klika 1932,Geranio-Peucedanetum cervariae (Kuhn 1937)Th. Müller 1961,Galio-Carpinetum Oberdorfer 1957,Aceri-Carpinetum Klika 1941,Luzulo-Quercetum (Hilitzer 1932)Passarge 1953,Genistion Böcher 1943,Mentho-Juncetum inflexi Lohmeyer 1953. For the anthropogenic vegetation another group of units was used. The species composition, environmental relationships an area of distribution are given for every mapping unit; characteristic soil properties for most important units of natural vegetation are also discussed.     

The arthropodBundenbachiellus giganteus from the Lower Devonian Hunsrück Slate, Germany

The large Hunsrück Slate arthropodBundenbachiellus giganteus (Broili, 1929) has been interpreted as a myriapod, a possible arthropleurid, and most recently as a distorted specimen of the arachnomorph arthropodCheloniellon. The Single specimen lacks the head region and is characterised by a narrow trunk bearing a series of biramous appendages with a segmented endopod and filamentous exopod. A reinvestigation demonstrates that it is not referable toCheloniellon but represents a distinct taxon of whichEschenbachiellus wuttkensis Briggs &;Bartels, 2001, also based on a Single Hunsrück Slate specimen, is a junior synonym. Minor features ofStürmer &;Bergström’s (1978) reconstruction ofCheloniellon, which were based on the holotype ofBundenbachiellus giganteus, are revised.     

Notes on some African hepatic genera 6–9

The present study deals with African species ofSyzygiella Spruce,Allisoniella Hodgs. andGymnomitriaceae Klinggr. Three species ofSyzygiella Spruce,S. geminifolia (Mitt.) Steph.,S. concreta (Gott.) Spruce and one indeterminable species with orbicular leaves (known only in sterile condition) occur in Africa.Allisoniella nigra (Rodw.) Schust. represents a genus hitherto unreported for the African flora. The present knowledge ofGymnomitriaceae Klinggr. in subsaharan Africa is summarised; five species ofMarsupella Dum., one ofGymnomitrion Corda and five ofHerzogobryum Grolle are reported. Finally, some additions to the generaIsotachis Mitt.,Anastrophyllum (Spruce) Steph. andLophozia (Dum.) Dum. are presented.     

Ein Beitrag zur Nomenklatur sphinctozoider Schwämme (Porifera)

The sphinctozoid sponge generaFania Senowbari-Daryan 1990 andSpica Termier &Termier 1977 are preoccupied.Fania is replaced byFanthalamia nom. nov. andSpica by the younger synonymFistulispongia Termier &Termier 1977. The invalid subfamily name FaniinaeSenowbari-Daryan 1990 is replaced by Fanthalamiinae n. subfam. The invalid family and subfamily names SpicidaeTermier &Termier 1977 and SpicinaeSenowbari-Daryan 1990 respectively are replaced by FistulispongiidaeTermier atTermier 1977 and FistulispongiinaeSenowbari-Daryan 1990. The generaWaagenium de Laubenfels 1957 andCatubria Merla 1931 were previously overlooked.Waagenium DeLaubenfels 1957 is a younger synonym ofColospongia Laube 1865. The position ofCatubria Merla 1931 is uncertain. Most probablyCatubria is an alga.     

Parasites of rice stemborers in Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo)

Observations on parasites were made during a study of the following rice stem-borers in Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo):Tryporyza incertulas (Walker),T. innotata (Walker),Chilo suppressalis (Walker)C. auricilia (Dudgeon), andSeamia inferens (Walker). Egg-parasitism was often high, but that of the larval and pupal stages generally very low. Between 40–80% of theTryporyza eggs were parasitised byTelenomus rowani (Gahan), while 30–50% were attacked byTetrastichus schoenobii Ferrière. About 40–90% of the eggs ofChilo were parasitised byTrichogramma? japonicum Ashmead and 5–26% byTelenomus dignus (Gahan). Only 0.4–3% of theTryporyza larvae were parasitised by a Braconid,Rhaconotus schoenobivorus (Rohwer), whileBracon chinensis Szepligeti attacked 0.2–0.7% of the larvae ofC. suppressalis. Parasitism ofSesamia larvae byApanteles flavipes Cameron was equally low, never exceeding 2%. Pupal parasitism was somewhat higher.Tetrastichus israeli (Mani & Kurian) attacked 8% and 18% of the pupae ofC. suppressalis andS. inferens, respectively, while the Ichneumonid,Xanthopimpla stemmator (Thunberg) attacked up to 3% of the pupae of the former species. The immature stages of some of these parasites are described.     

The parasite complex ofSaissetia nigra in Malaysia

The percentage parasitism ofSaissetia nigra (Nietner) by chalcidoid parasites and the relative abundance of individual parasites were studied in the field usingHibiscus rosa-sinensis L. as the host plant. In order of abundance (on the basis of percentage recorded) the primary parasites wereAnysis saissetiae Ash.,Aneristus ceroplastae How., andMicroterys newcombi (Gir)., while the hyperparasites wereMarietta exitiosa Comp.,Cheiloneurus saissetiae Noyes & Chua andEupelmus catoxanthae Ferr. The efficiency ofA. saissetiae (the larvae of which feed on the scale eggs) to control the scale population is doubtful because it is often parasitised by all 3 hyperparasites mentioned and each larva during development causes only 58% egg mortality of the parasitised host, leaving many scale eggs unconsumed.A. ceroplastae appears to be more useful parasite because it attacks the 2nd instar scales which cause significant damage to the host plant and it is free from attack by hyperparasites.     

Lower Cambrian tubular micro-to macrofossils from the Paseky Shale of the Barrandian area (Czech Republic)

The carbonaceous megafossil (mega-alga)Marpolia spissa Walcott 1919 is described from the Early Cambrian of the Barrandian area for the first time. Macroscopic remains of colonies ofM. spissa are compared with tubular microfossils of the same rocks. Different areas in colonies ofM. spissa are assignable to several (part-based) genera and species of microfossils. Therefore, the microfossil taxaSiphonophycus robustum (Schopf 1968)Knoll et al. 1991,S. typicum (Hermann 1974)Butterfield 1994,S. kestron Schopf 1968,S. capitaneum Nyberg &Schopf 1984,Polytrichoides lineatus Hermann 1974, emend.Knoll et al. 1991,Tortunema angusta (Kolosov 1984)Butterfield 1994 andTortunema wernadskii (Schepeleva 1960)Butterfield 1994 should only be used as form-species in the sense of an artificial taxonomy. The palaeoenvironment of the Paseky Shale and the biological assignment ofMarpolia spissa are discussed.     

Biology ofPyemotes parviscolyti [Acarina: Pyemotidae]

Pyemotes parviscolyti Cross & Moser is phoretic only onPityophthorus bisulcatus Eichhoff; it attacks all stages of this insect except the adult. Females, which contain little or no venom, prey on other scolytids if galleries overlap. Males copulate with females ofPyemotes ventricosus Newport and vice versa, but only males of the mother species result. Copulation withPyemotes scolyti Oudemans was not successful.     

Reclassifications and new names for some European Phanerogams

On the basis of taxonomic and nomenclatural revisions of various plant groups 37 new nomenclatural combinations are proposed mostly for European phanerogamous taxa (21 for species, 14 for subspecies, 2 for hybrids.)Medicula Medicus,Pseudofumaria Medicus andThlasidia Rafin. are accepted as taxonomically justified genera and correct generic names.Dactylorhiza longebracteata (F. W. Schmidt)Holub is proposed instead ofD. fuchsii (Druce) Soó, andHylotelephium triphyllum (Haworth) Holub isstead ofH. purpureum (L.)Holub.     

LignicolousHyphomycetes from Czechoslovakia 8.Endophragmiella andPhragmocephala

Thirteen species and one variety ofEndophragmiella Sutton and three species ofPhragmocephala Mason etHughes collected by the author in Czechoslovakia, and occasionally in other regions of Europe are described and illustrated. Four new species and one new variety are described inEndophragmiella—E. aseptata Hol.-Jech.,E. fatrensis Holt.-Jech.,E. ramificata Hol.-Jech.,E. similis Hol.-Jech. andE. uniseptata (Ellis) Hughes var.pusilla Hol.-Jech..     

Validation of generic names inLycopodiaceae: with a description of a new genusPseudolycopodiella

Four earlier proposed and invalidly published generic names ofLycopodiaceae are validated:Lateristachys (type:Lycopodium laterale R. Br.),Lycopodiastrum (type:Lycopodium casuarinoides Spring),Pseudodiphasium (type:Lycopodium volubile G. Forster) andPseudolycopodium (type:Pseudolycopodium densum (Rothm.) Holub). A new genusPseudolycopodiella (type:Lycopodium carolinianum L.) is described. New nomenclatural combinations are proposed for 17 species of these genera and ofLycopodiella.     

The relationships of the genusAustralomymar [Hymenoptera: Mymaridae]

The holotype female ofAustralomymar aurigerum Girault is redescribed and figured. Comparative data on the types of the five described species ofPolynemoidea Girault are given, and the affinities of both genera briefly discussed. They are maintained as distinct genera, probably related toSelenaeus Waterhouse and elements of the large genusPolynema Haliday,s. l.     

Notes on the genusOenothera subsect.Oenothera (Onagraceae) in the Czech Republic

Up-to-date results of taxonomic and phytogeographic studies ofOenothera subsect.Oenothera in the eastern part of the Czech Republic (Moravia and Silesia) are presented. A new hybridogenous species,Oe. moravica Jehlík etRostański (=Oe. fallax × Oe. victorini), is described from S Moravia. Several taxa and hybrids are reported for the first time for the Czech Republic:Oe. victorini Gates etCatcheside (=Oe. rostanskii Jehlík),Oe. × wienii Renner exRostański,Oe. acutifolia × Oe. victorini. Other taxa are recorded from the eastern part of the Czech Republic for the first time:Oe. acutifolia Rostański,Oe. hoelscheri Renner exRostański,Oe. parviflora L.,Oe. subterminalis Gates. The taxonomy ofOe. pycnocarpa Atkinson etBartlett is discussed. A survey of species and hybrids ofOenothera subsect.Oenothera in the Czech Republic is added.     

Über die Verbreitung und Variabilität desHordeetum murini in der westslowakei

Der Autor bewertete und emendierte die AssoziationHordeetum murini Libbert 1932. Er analysiert und klassifiziert die Variabilität der emendierten Assoziation, alsoHordeetum murini Libbert 1932 em.Eliá? 1979 auf dem Gebiet der Westslowakei. Er unterschied und beschrieb einige neue Syntaxa. Die Arbeit enthält phytozönologische Aufnahmen aus der Westslowakei und eine synthetische Tabelle.     

LignicolousHyphomycetes from Czechoslovakia 5.Septonema,Hormiactella andLylea

Three genera of lignicolousHyphomycetes Septonema Corda,Hormiactella Saac. andLylea Morgan-Jones are discussed. Illustrations and determination keys are provided. Five species ofSeptonema—S. fasciculare (Corda) Hughes,S. leptaleum (Ellis & Harkn.) Hughes,S. pinicola Hol.-Jech.,S. secedens Corda andS. laricium Hol.-Jech.—and two species ofHormiactella—H. fusca (Preuss) Sacc. andH. asetosa Hol.-Jech.—have been found in Czechoslovakia. A new speciesS. pseudobinum Hol.-Jech. is described from Romania.Septonema tetracoilum (Corda Hughes is accommodated in the genusLylea Morgan-Jones.     

Evolutionsmodelle für den Ursprung der Echinodermen: Zusammenfassung und Kritik

The origin of echinoderms is one of the most crucial questions within the evolutionary history of deuterostomes. An ancestral position was suggested byGarstang, Romer andNichols. They also assumed that hemichordates and chordates are sistergroups. In all other hypotheses the echinoderms took a more derived position.Gislén, Jefferies andHolland viewed the hemichordates as basal to the deuterostomes and postulated that echinoderms and chordates are sistergroups. According toJollie, Peterson et al. andMooi &; David echinoderms and hemichordates are sistergroups.Gudo andGutmann adopted the view ofMetschnikoff who combined the hemichordates and echinoderms in the Ambulacraria; they supposed that echinoderms were derived from pterobranchs. This variety of views is linked with different approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction utilized by each of the authors.Garstang, Romer, Jefferies andGislén compared morphological features, in the case ofGislén andJefferies with some attention to fossil evidence, whereasJollie, Holland andGislén also considerd embryological aspects.Mooi &;David as well asPeterson et al. used modern embryological (epigenetical) approaches.Nichols combined functional morphology and comparative anatomy. Evolutionary scenarios were reconstructed only by a few authors.Holland associated the development of echinoderms from pterobranch-like ancestors with repeated changes in feeding modes.Nichols envisioned that echinoderms had evolved from sipunculids that gained protection from predators through skeletal armor. In our own investigations based on constructional morphology echinoderms are interpreted as highly derived chordates.