Review of the Genus Myrmica in Korea (Hymenptera: Formicidae)

The paper contains a taxonomie review of 12 species of the genus Myrmica occurring in Korea. The following species are under discussion: M. angulinodis Ruzsky, M. carinata Kupyanskaya, M. hyungokae Elmes, M. jessensis Forel, M. kasczenkoi Ruzsky, M. kotokui Forel, M. koreana Elmes, M kurokii Forel, M. lobicornis Nylander, M. ruginodis Nylander, M silvestrii Wheeler, M. sulcinodis Nylander. Twelve species of the genus Myrmica are recognized from Korea, these are revised and a key to their identification is provided. Five species, M. cadusa, M. incurvata, M. saphoshikovi, M. scabrinodis, and M. yoshiokai are questionable to be distributed in Korea, as I have not found any specimens preserved in Korea. The SEM photo and illustrations of the worker of each species are provided.     

Three new species of Melloleitaoina Gerschman & Schiapelli, 1960 (Araneae,Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae) from northern Argentina

Three new species of the monotypic genus Melloleitaoina Gerschman & Schiapelli, 1960 are described from northern Argentina: M. mutquina sp. n., M. uru sp. n. and M. yupanqui sp. n. The female specimen originally described as M. crassifemur is not conspecific with the male holotype and thus is removed from this species and described as M. uru sp. n.; M. crassifemur is redescribed. All species are diagnosed, illustrated and a key to species is provided.     

Revision of the Merodon aurifer group (Diptera: Syrphidae) with new synonyms of M. testaceus Sack, 1913

The hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae), which comprises more than 200 species is distributed in the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Region, but one species, Merodon equestris, is a pest of flower bulbs and has been invasive into New Zealand and North America. In this work, the Merodon aurifer species group, a member of the M. avidus-nigritarsis lineage, is revised. The diagnostic characters of the M. aurifer species group, and the morphological differences between M. aurifer Loew, 1862 and M. nudicorpus sp. n. are explained and illustrated, as well as their distribution map. A detailed study of the type material resulted in three new synonyms: M. distinctus Palma, 1863 is a junior synonym of M. aurifer; M. manicatus (Sack, 1938) and M. testacoides Hurkmans, 1993 are junior synonyms of M. testaceus.Lectotypes are designated for two taxa M. aurifer and M. manicatus instead of the erroneously designated types for these species in Hurkmans (1993).     

A Revision of Australian River Prawns, Macrobrachium (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

A taxonomic revision of Australian Macrobrachium identified three species new to the Australian fauna – two undescribed species and one new record, viz. M. auratumsp. nov., M. koombooloombasp. nov., and M. mammillodactylus(Thallwitz, 1892). Eight taxa previously described by Riek (1951) are recognised as new junior subjective synonyms, viz. M. adscitum adscitum, M. atactum atactum, M. atactum ischnomorphum, M. atactum sobrinum, M. australiense crassum, M. australiense cristatum, M. australiense eupharum of M. australienseHolthuis, 1950, and M. glypticumof M. handschiniRoux, 1933. Apart from an erroneous type locality for a junior subjective synonym, there were no records to confirm the presence of M. australe(Guérin-Méneville, 1838) on the Australian continent. In total, 13 species of Macrobrachiumare recorded from the Australian continent. Keys to male developmental stages and Australian species are provided. A revised diagnosis is given for the genus. A list of 31 atypical species which do not appear to be based on fully developed males or which require re-evaluation of their generic status is provided. Terminology applied to spines and setae is revised.     

A taxonomic study of Chinese species of the insidiosus group of Metaphycus (Hymenoptera,Encyrtidae)

In this paper, twelve insidiosus-group species of the genus Metaphycus Mercet from China are reviewed. Five species, M. corniae sp. n., M. cylindricus sp. n., M. deltoideus sp. n., M. transversus sp. n. and M. yaanensis sp. n., are described as new to science. A key to the females of these species is given to facilitate species recognition. Photomicrographs are provided to illustrate morphological characters of these species. All specimens, unless otherwise specified, are deposited in the National Zoological Museum of China, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing.     

The Megophthalmidia (Diptera,Mycetophilidae) of North America including eight new species

Megophthalmidia Dziedzicki is a small leiine genus (Mycetophilidae) with seven species described from the Neotropics and ten species from the Palearctic region. Two species of Megophthalmidia have been reported for North America. Recent collecting of Mycetophilidae in California and Arizona, however, shows current North American diversity of Megophthalmidia is at least on par to other regions of the world. Eight new species of Megophthalmidia are described here, increasing the number of Nearctic Megophthalmidia species to nine. Included is a particularly atypical member of the genus, M. saskia sp. n., which expands the genus concept of Megophthalmidia. Of the two species previously recorded for North America, only one actually belongs in the genus. Megophthalmidia occidentalis Johannsen, is fully described and illustrated. The other named species, M. marceda (Sherman) is illustrated and transferred to the genus Ectrepesthoneura Enderlein. A lectotype is designated for this species. A key to the species of Megophthalmidia of North America is provided. The biology of these flies is not yet known. Three of the new Megophthalmidia species – M. lenimenta, M. misericordia, and M. radiata – are only known to occur within small protected areas within the California State Park and UC Natural Reserve systems.     

Flavonoid chemistry of the endemic species of Myrceugenia (Myrtaceae) of the Juan Fernandez Islands and relatives in continental South America

Twenty-one flavonoids were isolated from the leaves of two endemic species ofMyrceugenia on the Juan Fernandez Islands,M. fernandeziana andM. schulzei, from two related species from Brazil,M. campestris andM. rufescens, and from five species from continental Chile,M. colchaguensis, M. exsucca, M. lanceolata, M. pinifolia, andM. rufa. A phenetic analysis was used to evaluate chemical similarities.Myrceugenia campestris andM. rufescens appear most closely related to each other based on flavonoid profiles, and they are also different from the other seven species. The two endemic species in the Juan Fernandez Islands,M. fernandeziana andM. schulzei, group with the continental Chilean species. The former is most closely related toM. lanceolata, and the latter clusters withM. exsucca, although somewhat distantly. The results suggest that the two Juan Fernandez endemics are derived from two introductions from the Chilean continent and not from immigrants from the eastern side of the Andes.     

Morphological,Molecular, and Differential-Host Characterization of Meloidogyne floridensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), a Root-Knot Nematode Parasitizing Peach in Florida

A root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne floridensis n. sp., is described and illustrated from peach originally collected from Gainesville, Florida. This new species resembles M. incognita, M. christiei, M. graminicola, and M. hispanica, but with LM and SEM observations it differs from these species either by the body length, shape of head, tail and tail terminus of second-stage juveniles, body length and shape of spicules in males, and its distinctive female perineal pattern. This pattern has a high to narrowly rounded arch with coarsely broken and network-like striae in and around anal area, faint lateral lines interrupting transverse striae, a sunken vulva and anus, and large distinct phasmids. Molecular data from ribosomal IGS illustrate that M. floridensis n. sp. is different from the mitotic species M. arenaria, M. incognita, and M. javanica. Data from RAPDs confirm it and suggest that this new species lies in an intermediate phylogenetic position between the previous species and the meiotic species M. hapla, M. fallax, and M. chitwoodi. Differential host tests based on annual crops and on Prunus accessions are reported.     

Leaf architecture and anatomy of eleven species of Mortoniodendron (Malvaceae s.l.)

The genus Mortoniodendron is distributed from southeastern Mexico to Colombia and contains about 18 species of trees and shrubs. The main goal of this study is to describe and compare the leaf architecture and the anatomy of 11 species of Mortoniodendron using cleared leaves and paradermal and transverse leaf sections. All of the species of Mortoniodendron share a simple lamina with an entire margin. The differences among the species include the venation pattern, the relative thickness and course of the secondary veins, the presence or absence of the intersecondary veins, the tertiary vein pattern, the number of branches in veinlets, and the marginal ultimate venation. The leaf anatomy is similar to other species of the Malvaceae s.l.: for example, mucilage cells are common in Mortoniodendron. There are unique attributes of the leaf architecture and anatomy, such as the eucamptodromous venation pattern of M. guatemalense, which facilitates the identification of the species. The species M. palaciosii, M. pentagonum, M. ruizii, M. uxpanapense, and M. sp. nov. share features that suggest that they are closely related.     

Distribution and Morphological Variation of Microcebus spp. Along an Environmental Gradient in Southeastern Madagascar

The lemurs of Madagascar are known for their extraordinary levels of speciation. However, the mechanisms and environmental conditions that led to this diversity remain obscure. We used 3 species of Microcebus (M. griseorufus, M. murinus, M. rufus) occurring along an environmental gradient as a model to investigate 1) how the different species are distributed in relation to variation in environmental conditions and ecotones; 2) whether or not the morphology of a given species varies in relation to environmental conditions; and 3) whether or not there is evidence for morphological character displacement to reduce congeneric competition in sympatry vs. allopatry. The 3 species of Microcebus show clear associations with specific habitat types. Distributions overlap at ecotones. Nevertheless, the ecotone between dry spiny and gallery forest represents a species boundary between Microcebus griseorufus and M. murinus while the ecotone between dry spiny forest and evergreen humid forest represents the species boundary between M. murinus and M. rufus. Different ambient conditions are not reflected in changes in body measurements of Microcebus murinus living in different vegetation formations. There is no indication for character displacement in sympatry vs. allopatry. Thus, differences in body mass or other morphological characteristics do not contribute to species separation between Microcebus griseorufus and M. murinus. The results confirm the importance of ecotones as species boundaries as a condition postulated for the radiation of lemur and other species on Madagascar. They also demonstrate different habitat affinities of seemingly very similar lemur species and thus illustrate our very limited understanding of the actual selection pressures, adaptations of lemurs to their environments, and their possible response to interspecific competition.     

Species of Minidiscus (Bacillariophyceae) in the Mexican Pacific Ocean

Minidiscus species are the smallest centric diatoms of the marine phytoplankton (with diameters ranging from 1.9 to 7.5 μm), and they may be easily overlooked in routine analyses. Three species of the genus occurred in samples collected in the Mexican Pacific Ocean: Minidiscus trioculatus, M. comicus and M. chilensis. The identification of these species represents the first documented records for the Mexican Pacific: Minidiscus trioculatus and M. chilensis off the west coast of Baja California, and M. comicus in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Minidiscus trioculatus is considered a cosmopolitan species, M. comicus has a wide distribution in subtropical-temperate waters, and M. chilensis may be mainly regarded as a temperate to cold-water form.     

Monomorium ant's trail pheromones: Glandular source,optimal concentration,longevity and specificity

Many ants use pheromone trails to organize collective foraging. Trail pheromones are produced from different glandular sources and they may be specific to a single species or shared by a number of species. I investigated the source of trail pheromones in three Monomorium ant species: Monomorium niloticum (Emery), M. najrane (Collingwood & Agosti) and M. mayri (Forel). I also examined the optimal concentration, longevity and specificity of the pheromones. M. niloticum and M. najrane secrete trail pheromone from their venom glands, whereas M. mayri secrete trail pheromone from its Dufour's gland. The optimum concentration was 1.0 and 0.1 gaster equivalent (GE)/30 cm trail in M. niloticum, 1.0 GE in M. najrane and 5.0 GE in M. mayri. Longevity of the optimal concentration was about one day for all species. There is no species specificity among the three species of Monomorium in their trail pheromone.     

Three species of Mytilus and their hybrids identified in a Scottish Loch: natives, relicts and invaders?

Three species of the mussel, Mytilus, occur in the North Atlantic region, M. edulis, M. galloprovincialis and M. trossulus, and hybrid zones are present where their distributions overlap. M. edulis is a native species in the UK. M. galloprovincialis originated in the Mediterranean and its distribution extends northwards along the Atlantic seaboard to Scotland. Baltic Sea mussels have a M. trossulus ancestry but are highly introgressed by M. edulis. In recent decades, farming of mussels on long-line rope culture systems has been introduced into Scotland. On farms in Loch Etive, a form of mussel with a fragile shell and a different shape to either M. edulis or M. galloprovincialis has been increasing in frequency over recent years. Samples of fragile shelled, normal strong shelled and intermediate mussel types were sampled from two farms in 2006 and compared with samples of M. edulis, M. galloprovincialis and M. trossulus from other sources where their species identity is well established. Abundance relative to depth, shell strength, condition index and shell morphology were analysed together with 5 allozyme loci and one nuclear DNA genetic marker (Me 15/16). The fragile shelled mussels, and many of those classed as intermediate, were identified as a mixture of M. trossulus and M. trossulus x M. edulis hybrids. This identification was strongly supported by both morphological and genetic data and is the first record of the presence of M. trossulus in UK waters. M. trossulus in Loch Etive are most likely to be a post-glacial relict population restricted to the low salinity area of the Loch that has recently increased in abundance due to commercial mussel growing activity. In addition, individual mussels of all three species and their hybrids were detected amongst Loch Etive mussels. This is the first genetic demonstration of all three species and their hybrids occurring together in one location in the Atlantic region and provides a unique opportunity to study the processes of speciation, divergence, and introgression in the genus Mytilus.     

Two New Species of the Genus Melanotus Eschscholtz (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from Korea

Two new species, M. insularis sp. nov. and M. woonhahi sp. nov., of the genus Melanotus Eschscholtz from Korea are described. The external characteristics of both species are similar to a Japanese species, M. senilis Candeze. In addition to the difference of male genitalia, however, M. insularis can be distinguished by the strong body punctures from M. woonhahi and by short antennae and small and sparse body puncture from M. senilis.     

An analysis of macaque systematics using gene frequency data

Macaque gene frequencies for seven polymorphic protein systems are employed to generate dendrograms via two algorithms. The frequency data employed are drawn from 14 populations of macaques representing nine species. The two algorithms are the unweighted pair group method and an iterative program based on the additive hypothesis. The topologies generated by the two approaches are quite similar. The one major difference, involving M. fuscata, is investigated in detail.As measured by our index of dissimilarity (ID) conspecific populations of M. nemestrina, M. mulatta and M. fascicularis are closely related. Often the ID values separating conspecific groups are in agreement with expectations based on geographic considerations. Interspecific comparisons involving M. mulatta and M. fascicularis also exhibit clinal variation.M. cyclopis and M. fuscata show a particularly strong relationship to M. mulatta. This cluster of three species is closely related to M. fascicularis. M. speciosa, on the other hand, appears to be the most divergent of the species analyzed. The results are considered in light of previous thoughts about macaque systematics based on morphological characteristics.     

The evolution of the ribosomal loci in the subgenusLeopoldia of the genusMuscari (Hyacinthaceae)

In the subgenusLeopoldia of the genusMuscari, M. comosum is an exceptional species because it presents the most asymmetrical karyotype of the group and because its only active NOR is located in the fifth chromosome pair, while in the other species it is located in the first or second chromosome pairs (all the species have 2n = 18 chromosomes). SinceM. comosum has a derived karyotype different from those of the other species of the group, the resulting question is whether, in the first and second chromosome pair of this species, ribosomal cistrons persist. Observations after fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using rDNA probes indicate that there are indeed ribosomal loci in the first and second chromosome pairs of this species, although these loci are inactive with respect to nucleolus organization. The location of rDNA regions in another three species of the same genus (M. atlanticum, M. dionysicum andM. matritensis) provides a basis for examining the significance of these findings in relation to the evolution of the ribosomal loci in this genus. Our observations indicate that in the genusMuscari, the largest sites for rRNA genes are not necessarily active, and, therefore, the activation of these regions is not related to the number of copies but to a specific regulation mechanism.     

The genus Microserangium Miyatake (Coleoptera,?Coccinellidae) from China

The genus Microserangium Chapinfrom China is reviewed. Nine species are recognized, including seven new species: M. erythrinum Wang & Ren, sp. n., M. fuscum Wang & Ren, sp. n., M. glossoides Wang & Ren, sp. n., M. shennongensis Wang & Ren, sp. n., M. semilunatum Wang & Ren, sp. n., M. deltoides Wang & Ren, sp. n., M. dactylicum Wang & Ren, sp. n. Male genitalia of M. hainanensis Miyatake, 1961 are described for the first time. All species are described and illustrated. A key and distribution map to the known species from China are given.     

Speciation on a local geographic scale: the evolution of a rare rock outcrop specialist in Mimulus

Speciation can occur on both large and small geographical scales. In plants, local speciation, where small populations split off from a large-ranged progenitor species, is thought to be the dominant mode, yet there are still few examples to verify speciation has occurred in this manner. A recently described morphological species in the yellow monkey flowers, Mimulus filicifolius, is an excellent candidate for local speciation because of its highly restricted geographical range. Mimulus filicifolius was formerly identified as a population of M. laciniatus due to similar lobed leaf morphology and rocky outcrop habitat. To investigate whether M. filicifolius is genetically divergent and reproductively isolated from M. laciniatus, we examined patterns of genetic diversity in ten nuclear and eight microsatellite loci, and hybrid fertility in M. filicifolius and its purported close relatives: M. laciniatus, M. guttatus and M. nasutus. We found that M. filicifolius is genetically divergent from the other species and strongly reproductively isolated from M. laciniatus. We conclude that M. filicifolius is an independent rock outcrop specialist despite being morphologically and ecologically similar to M. laciniatus, and that its small geographical range nested within other wide-ranging members of the M. guttatus species complex is consistent with local speciation.