A remarkable new Awas L?bl from southern China (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)

A new distinctive species of the rare Oriental goniacerine genus Awas Löbl, Awas gigas sp. n., is described and illustrated, based on three males and fourteen females taken at the Daoyao Shan Natural Reserve in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi. All specimens were collected from colonies of the ant genus Pachycondyla F. Smith nesting in decomposing woods.     

A geographic distribution database of the Neotropical cassava whitefly complex (Hemiptera,Aleyrodidae) and their associated parasitoids and hyperparasitoids (Hymenoptera)

Whiteflies (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) are represented by more than 1,500 herbivorous species around the world. Some of them are notorious pests of cassava (Manihot esculenta), a primary food crop in the tropics. Particularly destructive is a complex of Neotropical cassava whiteflies whose distribution remains restricted to their native range. Despite their importance, neither their distribution, nor that of their associated parasitoids, is well documented. This paper therefore reports observational and specimen-based occurrence records of Neotropical cassava whiteflies and their associated parasitoids and hyperparasitoids. The dataset consists of 1,311 distribution records documented by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) between 1975 and 2012. The specimens are held at CIAT’s Arthropod Reference Collection (CIATARC, Cali, Colombia). Eleven species of whiteflies, 14 species of parasitoids and one species of hyperparasitoids are reported. Approximately 66% of the whitefly records belong to Aleurotrachelus socialis and 16% to Bemisia tuberculata. The parasitoids with most records are Encarsia hispida, Amitus macgowni and Encarsia bellottii for Aleurotrachelus socialis; and Encarsia sophia for Bemisia tuberculata. The complete dataset is available in Darwin Core Archive format via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).     

The genus Gymnetron from China with description of pre-imaginal stages of G. miyoshii,G. auliense and G. vittipenne (Coleoptera,Curculionidae)

There are four species of Gymnetron in China recorded to date including Gymnetron miyoshii Miyoshi, 1922, Gymnetron villosipenne Roelofs, 1875, Gymnetron auliense Reitter, 1907 and Gymnetron vittipenne Marseul, 1876, of which the last two are new country records. The pre-imaginal stages including eggs, mature larvae and pupae of Gymnetron miyoshii, Gymnetron auliense and Gymnetron vittipenne are described and illustrated. In addition, their diagnostic characters (larvae and pupae) are discussed and differentiated, and notes on some of their biological parameters are provided. Potential ecological impacts between Gymnetron weevils and their host Veronica spp. also are provided.     

Description of a new genus and three new species of Otothyrinae (Siluriformes,Loricariidae)

The genus Hisonotus was resurrected as a member of the tribe Otothyrini (actually subfamily Otothyrinae). However, phylogenetic studies based on morphological and molecular data showed that Hisonotus is not monophyletic and independent lineages can be identified, such as the group composed of the species Hisonotus insperatus, Hisonotus luteofrenatus, Hisonotus oliveirai, Hisonotus paresi and Hisonotus piracanjuba, a lineage unrelated to that containing the type species of the genus Hisonotus (Hisonotus notatus). Herein, based in molecular and morphological data, a new genus is described to accommodate the lineage mentioned above, into which are also added three new species. This new genus can be distinguished from other genera of Otothyrinae by the following combination of characters: (1) a pair of rostral plates at the tip of the snout; (2) two large pre-nasal plates just posterior to the rostral plates; (3) a supra-opercular plate that receives the laterosensory canal from the compound pterotic before the preopercle; (4) a well developed membrane at anal opening in females; and (5) a V-shaped spinelet. A key to species of Curculionichthys is provided.     

Eriophyoid mites (Acari,Eriophyoidea) associated with tea plants,with descriptions of a new genus and two new species

A new genus and two new species of mites in the family Eriophyidae, Theaphyes rapaneae gen. n. and sp. n. which is found on the type host Rapanea neriifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) Mez (Myrsinaceae) and Paracaphyllisa theacea sp. n., are described and illustrated. They are vagrants on the tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze and no apparent symptoms were detected. A key to the eriophyoid mites including thirteen species associated with tea plants all over the world is provided.     

A revision of the genus Muricea Lamouroux, 1821 (Anthozoa,Octocorallia) in the eastern Pacific. Part I: Eumuricea Verrill, 1869 revisited

Muricea is an amphi-American genus. Verrill proposed dividing the species from the Pacific Ocean into three genera and established the genus Eumuricea for five eastern Pacific species with tubular calyces. Eumuricea is basically characterized by colonies with elongate, cylindrical calyces with truncate margins and star-like opercula, and the occurrence of unilateral spinous spindles. According to these characteristics, Eumuricea does not show enough difference from Muricea to be treated as a separate genus. Original type material of Eumuricea was morphologically analysed and illustrated using optical and scanning electron microscopy. We conclude that the eastern Pacific species should be placed in the genus Muricea and form a group characterised by tubular calyces that comprises four species at present, Muricea acervata, Muricea hispida, Muricea squarrosa, and Muricea tubigera and a dubious species Muricea horrida. Lectotypes were designated for Muricea squarrosa and Muricea hispida to establish their taxonomic status. The genus Eumuricea has also been misunderstood by former authors who erroneously assigned species to it. For these species we propose new combinations: Swiftia pusilla, Astrogorgia splendens and Astrogorgia ramosa.     

The morphology of the preimaginal stages of Squamapion elongatum (Germar, 1817) (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea, Apionidae) and notes on its biology

Data on the morphology of the egg, mature larva (L₃) and pupa of Squamapion elongatum (Germar, 1817) are presented. The development cycle of this species lasts 51–54 days: a 12-day egg period, a 30-day larval period, and a 12-day pupal period, on average. The larvae are attacked by parasitic hymenopterans of the superfamily Chalcidoidea.     

Revision of “Phyllobrotica” from Taiwan with description of Jolibrotica gen. n. (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae)

All Taiwanese species formerly classified the genus Phyllobrotica Chevrolat, 1836 are revised. Jolibrotica Lee & Bezděk, gen. n., is described for Phyllobrotica sauteri (Chûjô, 1935) (Taiwan, China: Guangxi) and Phyllobrotica chujoi Kimoto, 1969 (Taiwan). Phyllobrotica shirozui Kimoto, 1969 is transferred to the genus Haplosomoides. All species are redescribed and their diagnostic characters illustrated.     

中国东南沿海裸鞘花水母一新属及三新种记述

记述了采自中国东南沿海台湾海峡南部、福建南部东山湾和福建东部宁德三都湾裸鞘花水母1新属——拟长管水母属Dipurenella gen.nov.和3新种,即刺胞海帽水母Halitiara knides sp.nov.,东山拟长管水母Dipurenella dongshanensis sp.nov.和粗管外肋水母Ectopleura crassocanalis sp.nov.。详细描述其形态特征,并与近似种进行比较。模式标本保存于厦门大学海洋与环境学院。