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This paper describes four new species of earthworms, Amynthas shinanmontis sp. nov., Amynthas chilanensis sp. nov., Amynthas bilineatus sp. nov., and Amynthas cruxus sp. nov. from Taiwan. Amynthas shinanmontis is sexthecate and parthenogenetic with individuals with various levels of degeneration of spermathecae and male reproductive organs. It occurs at elevations of 1700–2700 m in the Central Mountain Range in southern Taiwan. Amynthas bilineatus and A. chilanensis are athecate and also parthenogenetic. They occur, respectively, at elevations of 1000 m in the central region and 1325 m in the northeastern region of Taiwan. Amynthas cruxus is octothecate, amphimictic, and occurs at elevations of 900–1700 m in southern Taiwan. This paper also discusses confusion and dilemma caused by uncertain, speculative synonyms and parthenogenetic morphs in species delimitation in oligochaete taxonomy, and recommends the use of absolute synonyms and phylogenetic species concept.

Eleven tri‐ and tetra‐nucleotide microsatellite loci from the south China tiger, Panthera tigris amoyensis, were isolated, and characterized in this paper. Among these microsatellite loci, one locus was monomorphic; among the remaining 10 loci, the number of observed alleles for each locus in 57 individual tigers ranged from four to nine, the expected and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.366 to 0.805 and 0.400 to 0.837, respectively, and the mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.609. Moreover, two loci (F41 and FCA391) were compared between the domestic cat and the south China tiger and differences in their flanking regions were found (5.9% for F41 and 4.8% for FCA391). These 10 polymorphic tri‐ and tetra‐nucleotide microsatellite markers would be very useful in the evaluation of tiger population structure and the genetic relationships among the individual tigers. Wenping Zhang and Zhihe Zhang contributed equally to this paper.

This paper describes and provides new records of the copepods hosted by the ahermatypic scleractinian Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766). This coral species is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). The coral colonies were collected at both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar. Two new species, the poecilostomatoid Doridicola helmuti and the siphonostomatoid, Asterocheres astroidicola, are described and compared with their congeners. Furthermore, this paper represents the first record of the genus Doridicola associated with a scleractinian coral, the first time that Acontiophorus scutatus is found associated with Cnidaria, and the first report of an Asterocheres species living on scleractinian corals from the European coasts.

Protodulichioidea Ariyamaı superfam. nov. [Japanese name: Bōnobori-yokoebi-jōkaı new] Type family Protodulichiidae Ariyamaı fam. nov. Diagnosis Body subcylindricalı all pereonitesı pleonites and urosomites free. Head trianguları rostrum well developedı anteroventral margin strongly recessed; eyes largeı round. Antennae elongateı slender; antenna 1 peduncular articles 1ı 3 almost same lengthı shorter than article 2ı accessory flagellum short; antenna 2 longer than antenna 1ı peduncular articles 4ı 5 longı flagellum short. Mandibleı palp with 3 articlesı article 2 longestı article 3 symmetricalı bullet-shaped. Coxae medium-sizedı contiguous; gills present on coxae 2 ��� 6ı oostegites of female present on coxae 2 ��� 5. Gnathopod 1 subchelateı carpus longer than propodusı palm oblique. Male gnathopod 2 a little enlargedı subchelate; carpus shorter than propodusı propodus dilatedı palm oblique. Female gnathopod 2 smaller than that of maleı subchelate; carpus slightly shorter than propodusı palm oblique. Pereopods 3ı 4 short; bases slenderı glandular. Pereopods 5ı 6 short; bases expanded. Pereopod 7 greatly elongateı basis weakly expanded. Uropods biramousı uropods 1ı 2 slenderı uropod 3 short; peduncles of uropods 2ı 3 shorter than both rami; outer rami of all uropods shorter than inner ramiı both rami with robust setae. Telson dorsoventrally thickenedı entireı ovateı longer than broad. Remarks Myers and Lowry (2003) analysed the corophiidean genera using 41 morphological characters. Protodulichioidea superfam. nov. is different from the genera listed in Appendix 1 of this paper in at least six characters and does not closely resemble any generaı families or superfamilies listed. In particuları character 36 (setae on the uropod 3 outer ramus) differs significantly. The outer ramus of the new superfamily bears 0 ��� 1 dorsal and 1 apical robust setae (see ���Description��� and ���Variation���)ı and such a setation does not correspond with any types given by them. This new superfamily belongs to the parvorder Caprellida Leach 1814 because length of the antenna 1 article 3 is more than half of the article 2 (Myers and Lowry 2003). The parvorder consists of seven superfamilies. Protodulichioidea superfam. nov.ı howeverı can be distinguished from the superfamily Aetiopedesoidea Myers and Lowryı 2003 by the glandular bases of pereopods 3ı 4; from the superfamilies Caprelloidea Leach 1814 and Microprotopoidea Myers and Lowryı 2003 by the biramous uropod 3; from the superfamily Isaeoidea Danaı 1852 by the not subchelate pereopods 5 ��� 7; from the superfamily Neomegamphopoidea Myersı 1981 by the not enlarged gnathopod 1 and the not expanded coxa of male gnathopod 1; from the superfamily Photoidea Boeckı 1871 by the short peduncle of uropod 3; and from the superfamily Rakirooidea Myers and Lowryı 2003 by the separated urosomites 2ı 3. The most conspicuous character of Protodulichioidea superfam. nov. is a triangular head. This character and the mast-building behaviour (see ���Ecology���) are shared only with the family Dulichiidae Danaı 1849 among all the families in the infraorder Corophiida. Although Dulichiidae differs from this new superfamily in 12 characters out of 41 [for exampleı the pereonites 6ı 7 fusedı the urosomite 1 extremely elongateı and the uropod 3 absent in Dulichiidae (Laubitz 1977)]; this suggests that there may be a relationship between Protodulichioidea and Dulichiidae. Regarding Dulichiidaeı Laubitz (1979) estimated the suborder Caprellidea (in the traditional sense) is derived from an ancestral form close to Dulichiidae. Howeverı Ito et al. (2008) stated that the 18S rRNA gene sequence data did not support a close phylogenetic relationship between them. The relationship between Protodulichioidea and Dulichiidae is also expected to be examined by molecular analysis. Included family This superfamily contains only one familyı Protodulichiidae fam. nov., Published as part of Ariyama, Hiroyuki & Hoshino, Osamu, 2019, A new superfamily�� family�� genus and species of marine amphipod�� Protodulichia scandens�� from Japan (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Senticaudata: Corophiida), pp. 2467-2477 in Journal of Natural History 53 (39) on pages 2468-2469, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1704588, http://zenodo.org/record/3666407, {"references":["Myers AAi Lowry JK. 2003. A phylogeny and a new classification of the Corophiidea Leachi 1814 (Amphipoda). J Crust Biol. 23: 443 - 485.","Leach WE. 1814. Crustaceology. In: Brewster Di editor. The Edinburgh encyclopaedia. Vol. 7. Edinburgh: William Blackwood; p. 383 - 437.","Laubitz DR. 1977. A revision of the genera Dulichia KrOyer and Paradulichia Boeck (Amphipoda: Podoceridae). Can J Zool. 55: 942 - 982.","Laubitz DR. 1979. Phylogenetic relationships of the Podoceridae (Amphipodai Gammaridea). Bull Biol Soc Wash. 3: 144 - 152.","Ito Ai Wada Hi Aoki MN. 2008. Phylogenetic analysis of caprellid and corophioid amphipods (Crustacea) based on the 18 S rRNA genei with special emphasis on the phylogenetic position of Phtisicidae. Biol Bull. 214: 176 - 183."]}

In this paper current knowledge on the diversity of the gastropod cephalaspidean genus Haminoea from India is revised. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken and novel specimens were coll...

The distinctive, large bumblebee Bombus tanguticus Morawitz was described from yellow-banded queens (females) collected from high elevations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) by Nikolay Przhevalsky’s fourth Central Asia expedition. One of Morawitz’s syntype females is designated here as lectotype. Because of the distinctive female morphology, Pittioni placed the species in a subgenus of its own, Tanguticobombus. Surprisingly, in the 130 years since its description, and despite extensive sampling of bumblebees across the QTP, records for just seven more individuals of B. tanguticus have been published, all queens. In this paper I report two recently collected workers (females) that extend the known distribution of the species and describe a new white-banded colour pattern from one of the workers. Available data on the species’ distribution are mapped, the location of the collecting site for the highest confirmed records of any bumblebees worldwide at c. 5640 m above sea level is discussed, and the closest relatives of the species identified, placing it in the lapidarius-group of the subgenus Melanobombus and most likely close to the European B. lapidarius.

Descriptions of the mosquitoes of the Republic of the Sudan are mostly limited to works published more than 60 years ago. Khartoum State in central Sudan, which encompasses the capital city, has experienced many outbreaks of diseases caused by mosquito-borne pathogens, including Rift Valley fever. In this paper we focus on the composition of Aedes mosquitoes in high-risk areas in and around major agricultural projects. This is based on longitudinal surveillance of adults and larvae during the hot dry and rainy seasons in 2013. A total of 630 adult female mosquitoes were collected. Anopheles mosquitoes were the most abundant (n = 456, 72.4), followed by Culex (n = 96, 15.2) and Aedes (n = 78, 12.4). Only three Aedes species were identified: Aedes caballus (n = 38, 48.7 of the Aedes), Aedes vexans arabiensis (n = 30, 38.5) and Aedes caspius (n = 10, 12.8). A total of 42,549 larvae were collected. Aedes larvae were the most abundant (n = 30,936, 72.7), followed by Culex (n = 9656, 22.7) and Anopheles (n = 1957, 4.6). The Aedes larvae included Ae. caspius (n = 21,957, 71.0 of the Aedes), Ae. vexans arabiensis (n = 5577, 18.0), Aedes quasiunivittatus (n = 107, 0.3), Aedes dentatus (Theobald) (n = 204, 0.7) and 3091 unidentifiable larvae (10.0), denoted as Forms X, Y and Z. We discuss the bionomics of the four identified species of Aedes and provide updated keys for the identification of the mosquito genera and the larvae and adults of the Aedes species recorded from the Republic of the Sudan. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor Francis Group.

Octopus minor is widely distributed along the coastal areas of the west Pacific Ocean. This paper investigates spermatozoa, spermiogenesis from the testes, and spermatophores using light and electron microscopy. Mature spermatozoa are about 650 µm long. The head includes mainly the acrosome and nucleus. The acrosome consists of a striated cone surrounded by a single helix. The nucleus is cylindrical, homogeneous and of high electron density. The neck is short and connected with the head through the internal nuclear fossa. The axoneme connects the head, neck and tail. The tail is divided into middle, principal and final pieces. The ‘9 + 9 + 2’ structure is surrounded by a mitochondrial sheath, which includes 9–11 mitochondria in transverse section. The sperm morphology is compared with the ultrastructure of other cephalopod spermatozoa, and taxonomic and phylogenetic implications are discussed.

This paper provides a generic diagnosis, a species list and taxonomy for the genus Symplocodes Hebard, 1929. The new species Symplocodes euryloba sp. nov. from China is described and illustrated. Symplocodes tsaii Bey-Bienko, 1958 is regarded as a subspecies of Symplocodes marmorata (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893), i.e. S. marmorata tsaii comb. nov., and its differences from S. marmorata marmorata (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893) are discussed. Two known species, Symplocodes ridleyi (Shelford, 1912) and Symplocodes manubria Feng et Guo, 1990, are redescribed and illustrated, whereas one new specific synonym, i.e. Symplocodes brachialis, is proposed. A key to species worldwide is provided. The tarsal claws of these four species as well as one species of Chorisoserrata Roth, 1998 are examined and photographed to compare the intergeneric differentiation of claw specialization and to discuss its function.

This paper provides a comprehensive faunal survey of the Rhopalidae from southern South America with emphasis on the fauna of Argentina, based on published and unpublished data. The biodiversity from Argentina comprises 38 recorded species from six genera: Arhyssus Stål 1870 (one species), Liorhyssus Stål 1870 (two species), Niesthrea Spinola 1837 (five species), Xenogenus Berg 1883 (two species), Harmostes Burmeister 1835 (20 species), and Jadera Stål 1862 (eight species). We established accurate distributions for most of the species and report new distributional information for 27 of them. Most of these records are from Argentinean provinces, but we also report five new country records: three from Argentina – Harmostes (Harmostes) splendens Harris 1944, H. (Neoharmostes) bergi Göllner-Scheiding 1998 and Arhyssus tricostatus (Spinola 1852); one from Brazil – Xenogenus picturatum Berg 1883; and one from Paraguay – Harmostes (Harmostes) gravidator (Fabricius 1794). Fil: Melo, María Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; Argentina Fil: Montemayor Borsinger, Sara Itzel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; Argentina

This paper reviews aspects of the biology of copepods infecting marine fish commercially cultured at fish farms or held as broodstock at governmental hatcheries in Japan. In total, 20 species of parasitic copepods have been reported from these fish: they are mostly caligids (12 spp.), followed by lernaeopodids (4 spp.), pennellid (1 sp.), chondracanthid (1 sp.), taeniacanthid (1 sp.), and unidentified species (1 sp.). The identified copepods are: Caligus fugu, C. lagocephalus, C. lalandei, C. latigenitalis, C. longipedis, C. macarovi, C. orientalis, C. sclerotinosus, C. spinosus, Lepeophtheirus longiventralis, L. paralichthydis, L. salmonis (Caligidae); Alella macrotrachelus, Clavella parva, Parabrachiella hugu, P. seriolae (Lernaeopodidae); Peniculus minuticaudae (Pennellidae); Acanthochondria priacanthi (Chondracanthidae); and Biacanthus pleuronichthydis (Taeniacanthidae). The fish recorded as hosts include carangids (4 spp.), sparids (2 spp.), monacanthids (2 spp.), salmonids (2 spp.), scombrid (1 sp.)...

In this paper we examined newly collected specimens of the Neoserica Brenske, 1894 (sensu stricto) species group housed in Chinese collections. Four new species are described from China: Neoserica (s. str.) mengsongensis Liu & Ahrens, sp. nov. (Yunnan Prov.), Neoserica (s. str.) pseudosangangana Liu & Ahrens, sp. nov. (Guizhou Prov.), Neoserica (s. str.) taibaiensis Liu & Ahrens, sp. nov. (Shaanxi Prov.) and Neoserica (s. str.) yongkangensis Liu & Ahrens, sp. nov. (Zhejiang Prov.). Habitus and the male genitalia are illustrated. Additionally, we provide new distribution records, an updated distribution map and an updated key to the species of the Neoserica (sensu stricto) group.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A3C6B300-EAC3-445E-8B14-E1DBB7BBFB7F

A recently published paper on some Helix species from the East Mediterranean basin is briefly reviewed. Parts of the results of the authors of that study are erroneous because they are based on a misinterpretation of some of the taxa involved. An analysis of the actually studied taxa is presented, and the essential consequences for nomenclature and phylogeny are discussed.

This paper revises the species belonging to the Neoserica (sensu lato) vulpes group and results in one new combination, Neoserica (sensu lato) vulpes (Arrow, 1946) comb. nov., and 24 new species originating mainly from south-western China: N. baishuiensis sp. nov., N. baoshana sp. nov., N. biuncinata sp. nov., N. dundai sp. nov., N. ganhaiziana sp. nov., N. heishuiana sp. nov., N. kereni sp. nov., N. laocaiana sp. nov., N. lateriuncinata sp. nov., N. leiboensis sp. nov., N. luzhouana sp. nov., N. ningyuanensis sp. nov., N. nykli sp. nov., N. parausta sp. nov., N. pseudovulpes sp. nov., N. rubellula sp. nov., N. ruzickai sp. nov., N. shinkaisiensis sp. nov., N. sichuanica sp. nov., N. usta sp. nov., N. weishanensis sp. nov., N. xiaguanensis sp. nov., N. kunmingensis sp. nov. and N. yangjiapingensis sp. nov. A key to species and illustrations of genitalia and habitus of adults are given, including distribution maps of all species.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3FE6CC54-DB3A-4201-A6F9-332E4A397268

This paper presents both the description and the iconographic documentation of a mite species new to science: Orthadenella coulsoni sp. nov., recorded from Siberia, Russia. A key for determining females of all species within this genus is included.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3B416529-A22D-43B3-96BD-3D5A8ED4F0F1

Box-corer samples taken between 700 and 2000 m depth on the slope of the Campos Basin, southeastern Brazilian deep sea, provided the material for the description of two new genera in the family Urothoidae, Carangolioides gen. nov. and Coronaurothoe gen. nov., and three new species: Carangolioides castellatus sp. nov., Carangolioides hamatus sp. nov. and Coronaurothoe rotunda sp. nov. Carangolioides gen. nov. differs from other urothoid genera by the presence of a distolateral projection on the outer lobes of the lower lip and the distally truncated margin of the upper lip, while Coronaurothoe gen. nov. differs by the mandibular molar being triturative with a distal crown of stout setae. In this study, we provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new taxa. An identification key to genera of Urothoidae is also provided. The genera Pseudurothoe Ledoyer, 1986 and Urothopsis Ledoyer, 1967 are removed in this paper from Urothoidae to Phoxocephalopsidae.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:18...

This paper describes four new species of morrisi-group earthworms from Hainan and Guangdong Provinces, China: Amynthas instabilis sp. nov, Amynthas dilatatus sp. nov, Amynthas infuscuatus sp. nov. and Amynthas qiongzhongensis sp. nov. All four species have two pairs of spermathecal pores in 5/6–6/7; male pores in XVIII, 0.33 circumference ventrally apart, each on the top of a slightly raised porophore, surrounded by several tiny genital papillae, in a pulvinate pad with three to six circular folds. Characters of the spermathecae, prostate glands and other anatomical features easily distinguish the new species from earthworms previously reported from the morrisi-group.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:545E9152-C826-44A2-949E-402434D8493D.

The first DNA sequence of a cephalopod was published in 1983 and the first molecular paper focusing on cephalopods was published in 1994. In this review we trace progress in the field. We examine the placement of Cephalopoda with respect to other molluscan classes and we examine relationships within Cephalopoda. We provide a summary tree of the relationships between cephalopod orders and we examine relationships of taxa within each of these orders. Although much knowledge has been gained over the past 20 years, deeper-level relationships are still not well understood and there is still much scope for further research in this field. Genomic studies are likely to contribute significantly to our knowledge in the future.

This paper critically compares the Southern African bulldog fish species Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters, 1852), inhabiting the eastern Lower Zambezi River, and Marcusenius altisambesi Kramer et al., 2007, inhabiting the central Upper Zambezi River, with bulldog fish samples from the western lower Cunene River, a 2600-km range from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. The three species or forms are well differentiated in morphology and molecular genetics, and differentiation is also present in electric organ discharges. Marcusenius altisambesi and the Cunene sample, which we recognize as Marcusenius multisquamatus sp. nov., are closely related and form a sister taxon to M. macrolepidotus. This result is based on the analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences and genomic Inter-simple-sequence-repeat fingerprinting. Morphological adaptations to life in a torrential escarpment river seem to be present in M. multisquamatus sp. nov. when compared with M. altisambesi, which lives in a reservoir river that periodically floods the savannah. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8FE68494-9ED9-428E-B181-E814D25493F2

[EN] A new mite species of the family Phytoseiidae (Acari:Mesostigmata), Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) thuriferus sp. nov. collected from the Cupressaceae Juniperus thurifera in Spain is described. Three species of the same subgenus, new records for Spain, are also included. A key to all the species of this subgenus is given., The authors wish to thank Drs. Jim McMurtry of Oregon State University, USA and Farid Faraji of MITOX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for their critical review of this paper. Part of this work was based upon research supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF), SouthAfrica. Any opinion, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the authors and therefore the NRF does not accept any liability in regard thereto.

The present paper reports 32 turrid species from the China Seas, belonging to eight genera of the subfamily Crassispirinae of the family Turridae. Four new species are described: Funa cretea sp. nov., Inquisitor plurivaricis sp. nov., Inquisitor vividus sp. nov. and Ptychobela resticula sp. nov. Eight species are recorded for the first time from the China Seas.

A checklist of 63 species of tardigrades from the Tsinling Mountains is given in this paper. Thirty‐seven species of tardigrades that had never been found in the Tsinling Mountains were reported here. Twenty of them are new records for the mountains, 15 of them are new records for China, two of them are new to science. Pseudechiniscus pilatoi sp. n. is similar to Pseudechiniscus quadrilobatus Iharos, 1969. It differs from P. quadrilobatus in different cuticular sculpture, in the joints of paired‐plates, near the dorsal median line, uplifting but not protruding backward, and in lacking notches on terminal plate. Echiniscus marleyi sp. n. differs from E. canadensis Murray in having filaments D; it differs from E. mediantus Marcus in lacking filaments C but in having filaments D; it differs from E. spinulosus (Doyere) in lacking teeth B, C, E, and in having filaments D instead of teeth D.

The aim of this paper is to revise populations of Macrothrix cf. hirsuticornis (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Macrothricidae) from different regions of the southern hemisphere. It is demonstrated that M. hirsuticornis Norman and Brady, 1867 s. str. is absent there, and five related species occupy different Subantarctic islands and the southernmost portions of South America, and Africa. Macrothrix boergeni Studer, 1878 from the Kerguelen Archipelago is redescribed and a neotype is selected. All populations in the southernmost portion of continental South America, Tierra del Fuego, Falklands, South Georgia, South Orkney Islands, and on the Antarctic Peninsula belong to M. oviformis Ekman, 1900. All the taxa described from this region—M. ciliata Vavra, 1900, M. odontocephala Daday, 1902, M. propinqua Sars, 1909, and, probably, M. inflata Daday, 1902—are junior synonyms of M. oviformis. Two new species are established: M. sarsi sp. nov. from the Cape region of South Africa and M. ruehei sp. nov. from Crozet, Marion i...

From 1997 to 1999, the fauna of free‐living Platyhelminthes of the rias ecosystem was studied along the Galician and Cantabrian coast in northern Spain. In total, 72 platyhelminth species are listed in this study. Forty‐two species represent new records for the Iberian Peninsula, three of which represent new genera records. A new species belonging to the genus Djeziraia (Polycystididae, Kalyptorhynchia), Djeziraia longistyla sp. nov., is described in this paper. In this broad‐scale study, a large data set (27 localities) of the estuaries of northern Spain allowed an analysis of the turbellarian species assemblages and the relation of species distributions to salinity, conductivity, oxygen, temperature, and sediment characteristics. Species assemblages (species diversity) of each habitat of the brackish water ecotone are shown. The present study contributes to knowledge on the ability of adaptation of free‐living Platyhelminthes to regimes of brackish water ecotones.

This paper provides an account of the biology of Lissoderes (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Conoderinae) focusing on L. pusillus Hespenheide and L. subnudus Champion. The eggs, larvae, and pupae live inside the hollow stems of Cecropia saplings. Adult weevils chew through the stem and deposit eggs on the inner surface of the internode. The larvae feed on the parenchyma lining the hollow internodes and pupate inside the internode. Emerging adults chew their way out of the stem. Two hymenopteran parasitoids were reared from larvae and prepupae of L. pusillus: Neocatolaccus sp. (Pteromalidae) and Heterospilus sp. (Braconidae). Menozziola sp. (Diptera, Phoridae) and Conoaxima sp. (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae) were observed parasitizing Azteca queens. Parasitism by these species may explain part of the high mortality observed in colonizing Azteca queens. Direct competition with L. pusillus and L. subnudus appears not to be a major cause of queen mortality, although possible indirect effects of the weevils remain unknown.

This paper reviews the species composition and distribution of Culicoides biting midges in Turkey for the first time. The Culicoides fauna of Turkey is diverse, with 57 reported species collected in 54 localities across the Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, and Central, Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian Regions of Turkey. No records are available for the Black Sea Region. The most widespread species include Culicoides cataneii Clastrier, C. circumscriptus Kieffer, C. festivipennis Kieffer, C. gejgelensis Dzhafarov, C. longipennis Khalaf, C. maritimus Kieffer, C. nubeculosus (Meigen), C. obsoletus (Meigen), C. odiatus Austen, C. pulicaris (Linnaeus), C. puncticollis (Becker), C. saevus Kieffer, and C. shaklawensis Khalaf, whereas C. denisoni Boorman, C. dewulfi Goetghebuer, C. fagineus Edwards, C. minutissmus (Zetterstedt), C. montanus Schakirzjanova, C. semimaculatus Clastrier, C. slovacus Orszagh, and C. turanicus Gutsevich and Smatov are represented from only one locality. Only single specimens represent...

In this paper we provide checklist of 26 species of Tetrigoidea ground grasshoppers (Scelimenidae, Metrodoridae and Tetrigidae) from the Zuojiang Area, a natural reserve located near Nanning City in the southwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southwestern China. In addition, two new species: Coptotettix zaujiangensis sp. nov. and Euparatettix obliqucosta sp. nov. of Tetrigidae are described. Type specimens are deposited at the Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Normal University, and College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University.

Based on the material deposited in the Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, collected from the Indo-West Pacific, principally from the New Caledonian region, the present paper reports 117 palaemonoid shrimp species, which belong, respectively, to Anchistioididae ( one genus, one species), Gnathophyllidae ( one genus, one species), Palaemonidae Palaemoninae ( seven genera, nine species), and Palaemonidae Pontoniinae ( 30 genera, 106 species), including eight new species. The new species are all Pontoniinae: Mesopontonia brevicarpalis sp. nov., Palaemonella komaii sp. nov., Periclimenes crosnieri sp. nov., Periclimenes forgesi sp. nov., Periclimenes loyautensis sp. nov., Periclimenes paralcocki sp. nov., Periclimenes paraleator sp. nov., and Periclimenes pseudalcocki sp. nov. The last six new species are members of the deep-water "Periclimenes alcocki species complex'', which has more than two ( usually four) pairs of dorsolateral telson spines anterior to the posterior telson margin, the cornea is usually reduced, the dactyl of the major second chela is generally flanged and the chela is sometimes covered with small tubercles. The complex is usually found at more than 200m depth in the West Pacific. The species can be distinguished from each other by the armature of ambulatory propod and dactyl, diameter of cornea, rostrum shape and the number of pairs of dorsolateral telson spines. Mesopontonia brevicarpalis sp. nov., from the southeast coast of Africa, is the seventh species of the genus. Palaemonella komaii sp. nov. is very similar to Palaemonella dolichodactylus Bruce, 1991 and Palaemonella hachijo Okuno, 1999. These three species share the features of very long and slender ambulatory pereiopods with the dactyl more than eight times longer than its basal depth and with several long setae on the dorsal dactylar margin.

This paper describes three new species of earthworm from Guangdong, China: Amynthas heshanensis sp. nov., Amynthas jiangmenensis sp. nov., and Drawida cheni sp. nov. The former two species both have two pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7–7/8, and simple paired caecae in XXV. Four similar Amynthas species are reviewed. Drawida cheni sp. nov. has similar characters in external appearance (large body size, no dorsal pore, and no clitellum) with Drawida sulcata Zhong, 1986 from Yunnan, China. The species is distinguished from other Drawida species by the five gizzards, which are otherwise only found in D. syringa Chen, 1933, the smooth body without setae, the superficial male pores, and the female pores in 12/13.

Research on the widespread and polytypic lizard Laudakia stellio (Linnaeus, 1758) suffers from the lack of type specimens of the taxa included. This paper reviews the valid subspecies and the information about their type specimens, and designates neotypes where necessary.

This paper deals with a total of 29 species of the genus Phortica from Yunnan, including nine new species: acongruens (Zhang and Shi), bicornuta (Chen and Toda), bipartita (Toda and Peng), biprotrusa (Chen and Toda), cardua (Okada), eugamma (Toda and Peng), excrescentiosa (Toda and Peng), flexuosa (Zhang and Gan), gamma (Toda and Peng), hani (Zhang and Shi), lambda (Toda and Peng), omega (Okada), protrusa (Zhang and Shi), pseudogigas (Zhang and Gan), pseudopi (Toda and Peng), pseudotau (Toda and Peng), saeta (Zhang and Gan), speculum (Maca and Lin), subradiata (Okada), tau (Toda and Peng), glabtabula Chen and Gao, sp. nov., latipenis Chen and Gao, sp. nov., longipenis Chen and Gao, sp. nov., pangi Chen and Wen, sp. nov., sagittaristula Chen and Wen, sp. nov., saltiaristula Chen and Wen, sp. nov., setitabula Chen and Gao, sp. nov., uncinata Chen and Gao, sp. nov., and unipetala Chen and Wen, sp. nov. A key to all species examined of the genus Phortica from Yunnan, China, is provided.

This paper represents the first study of the genetic diversity of captive South China tigers Panthera tigris amoyensis by sequence variation in a fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene. Two haplotypes (haplotype I and haplotype II) were identified and the captive population had a bias towards haplotype I. This subspecies as a whole demonstrated an extremely low level of genetic diversity with the nucleotide diversity of 0.057±0.021%. The mtDNA ND5 variations detected in the present study could provide significant information to the studbook data of the South China tiger.

The pholcid spiders of Sri Lanka have never been revised in any detail. Most species previously known from the island are widespread synanthropics. However, recent collecting has revealed a rich native fauna, with new taxa at species and genus levels. In this paper we redescribe Pholcus ceylonicus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869, present the first record of Modisimus culicinus (Simon, 1893) for Sri Lanka, and describe two new species of a new genus, Wanniyala agrabopath n. sp. and Wanniyala hakgala n. sp. Both new species appear to be restricted to relatively undisturbed forests, where they inhabit the leaf-litter. Several new Sri Lankan species tentatively assigned to Belisana Thorell will be described in a forthcoming revision of that genus. These studies suggest that a rich pholcid fauna may await discovery in Sri Lanka.

The paper reports the first finding of freshwater sponges from the Greater Antilles. Spongillidae belonging to four species of the genera Ephydatia, Anheteromeyenia, and Radiospongilla were found in a variety of freshwater habitats in western Cuba. Anheteromeyenia cheguevarai nov. sp. is described. Morphological traits of sponges from West Cuba were characterized by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and compared to the spongillofauna of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions and the pan‐Caribbean area. The specific richness and the discovery of a new species suggest a high diversity of the Antillean freshwater sponges although the investigated area of Cuba is relatively small.

26 páginas, 13 figuras, 2 tables.., In this paper the 17 asiatic species of the family Parabathynellidae are reviewed from a taxonomic point of view using bibliographic data. Two new genera and two new species are described from caves in Vietnam. Paraeobathynella n. g. presents a unique combination of characters (antennule: seven segments; antenna: six segments; mandible: pars incisiva with five teeth and pars molaris with 10 teeth; maxillule: distal endite with seven claws; exopod of the thoracopods with three or more segments and epipods present in thoracopods 3–7; pleopods absent; endopod of the Th 8 male with two setae; seven spines on the sympod and two spines on the endopod of the uropod and the small minimum size of the adult body) and exclusive characters like the Th 8 female having two small spines and one long seta and the general size and aspect of the Th 8 male and its lobes. Sketinella n. g. presents a unique combination of characters (antennule: eight segments; antenna; six segments; mandible: pars incisiva with six teeth and pars molaris with eight teeth: maxillule: distal endite with seven claws; exopod of the thoracopods with three or more segments and epipods present in Th 3–7; endopod of the thoracopod 8 male with two setae; 12 spines on the sympod and two spines on the endopod and seven setae on the exopod of the uropod) and characters exclusive to the asiatic species are: a pair of pleopods reduced to a single seta; a very distinctive basipod and outer lobe of the Th 8 male and an exopod of the Th 8 male with a small tooth or protuberance. This is the first time that the Parabathynellidae has been found in Vietnam, this find extends the range of distribution of this family in Asia., This work was supported by project EVK2-CT-2001-00121 (European Projects PASCALIS) and Convenio Junta de Castilla y Leo´n and CSIC.

Loaches of the genus Niwaella, family Cobitidae, are distributed only in East Asia. At present only in Japan and South Korea have fishes of the genus Niwaella been found. Herein we revise the genus Niwaella in China. Son and He ( 2001) transferred the species Cobitis laterimaculata to the genus Niwaella, but their specimens were not N. laterimaculata, but a new species, N. longibarba sp. n., collected from Cao'ejiang River, Huangzezhen, Chengxian County, Zhejiang Province. The new species is distinguished from N. laterimaculata by its colour pattern of a row of slightly large, and long, scattered dark brown vertical bars on the dorsolateral surface, two or three striations on the caudal fin, and long barbels and undeveloped mental lobes. In this paper we also describe another new species, N. xinjiangensis sp. n., collected from Xinjiang River, Guangfeng County, Jiangxi Province, May 1990, with diagnostic colour pattern of 17 - 20 large and long, dark brown vertical bars on the dorsolateral surface, a dark stripe or rounded black spots along the lateral midline and some blotches below the lateral midline; it is a large-sized species, with shorter barbels, and longer caudal peduncle. Thus five species of the genus Niwaella are known, three are endemic to eastern China and two are endemic to either Japan or South Korea.

In the present paper a microsporidian parasitic protist is described and characterized; it was observed in oocytes of Eurhomalea lenticularis Sowerby. The clams were obtained in Algarrobo, Chile (33°20′S, 71°40′W). The observations were made on 5 µm sections of female clam gonads, processed by routine histological techniques with ARTETA trichromic stain. According to the parasite's characteristics, it is established that the microsporidian protist is related to the genus Steinhausia (Chytridiopsidae). Microsporidian prevalence reached 20.6% (n = 34) in summer months, but there was no evidences of cell damage in the oocyte of the host; in a total of 66 female clams, a 10.6% of infection was detected between December 1995 and August 1996. The infection intensity showed that 77.4% of the infested acini had single parasitized oocytes, and 88.0% of total oocytes parasitized contained only one cyst in the cytoplasm.

Plagiodontes patagonicus (d'Orbigny, 1835) is a quite variable species endemic to southern Buenos Aires province (Argentina). Its taxonomic characterization did not include any quantitative analysis of variability for an accurate discrimination, and the extremes of its variation were described as different subspecies or species. In this paper, shell measurements and angles, and quantitative data on the terminal male genitalia were studied by Principal Component Analysis and Varimax multivariate analysis. Typical Plagiodontes patagonicus and the largest form known as P. patagonicus magnus Hylton-Scott, 1951 showed an almost continuous pattern of shell variation, which is positively correlated with the altitude gradient over their geographical range, which in turn is correlated with a rainfall gradient, i.e. they constitute a size-form cline that does not allow objective delimitation of different morphospecies. Data from the genital system were also arranged as a geographical gradient within the P. patagonicus patagonicus-P. patagonicus magnus continuum. The variability of protoconch sculpture and apertural teeth also indicate recognition of them as a single taxon. Fil: Cazzaniga, Néstor Jorge. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina Fil: Piza, Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina Fil: Ghezzi, Natalia S.. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina

The megalopa stage of the fiddler crab endemic to the Neotropical region, Uca uruguayensis, is redescribed, measured and illustrated from 216 specimens collected at Channel 1, Samborombon Bay, Argentina, the southernmost permanent population of the species. Special attention is given to the description of the types of setae, which are compared to those cited for U. uruguayensis and other fiddler crab megalopae reared in the laboratory. The differences are given in the outline of the carapace, the plumose spines of the telson, and also in the following appendages: antennule, antenna, mandible, maxillule, maxilla, first, second and third maxillipeds. These cited differences could be due to: the origin of the organisms, caught in the field from their settlement area versus reared in the laboratory, and/or the sampling locality. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a detailed description of the megalopa that may allow resolution of taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships within this complex genus.

Six species belonging to two families of Hemichordata have previously been recorded in Chinese waters. This paper records the discovery and description of a new species of the genus Glandiceps found in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, Shandong Province, named Glandiceps qingdaoensis. The new species has a long proboscis with dorsal and ventral grooves, a stomochord with a long vermiform process, a proboscis cavity with a dorsal median, right and left glomeruli, right and left glomeruli very large and encircling the stomochord, a proboscis skeleton in the cavity extends into the median posterior of the collar, a well-developed dorsal ventral muscular septum in the proboscis cavity dividing the cavity completely into two separate parts. The collar cord is without giant nerve roots. The trunk with four distinct regions that can be recognized externally: branchial-genital region, genital region, hepatic region, and intestinal region. The dorsal pharynx is large and the gill pores are small. The tongue bars are encircled by vesicles, and the first gonad commences at the level of the second or third gill slit.

The endemic freshwater planarian Dugesia hepta from Sardinia was described mainly by karyology and karyotype analysis and by geographic distribution. The present paper reports on the detailed morphological study of the copulatory apparatus and highlights the fact that the exclusive diagnostic characters of D. hepta are the shape of the penis papilla, the course and opening of the ejaculatory duct and the openings of the shell glands. A neotype is designated on the basis of a detailed description, and the geographic range of the species is better defined. The two phylogenetically important traits represented by the course and opening of the ejaculatory duct show an unknown condition in the genus Dugesia, diverging from the typical one displayed by the other 69 species. A comparative analysis of morphological traits of the 20 Mediterranean species of the genus Dugesia was made.

Although the genus Halecium is easy to recognize, identifications at the species level are often difficult, this even for quite common and supposedly well-known species of the north-eastern Atlantic. This paper revises and re-describes some Halecium species which resemble each other closely and which are not easy to distinguish. Additional information on a few rare species is also provided. The study is based on material collected from the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, South Africa, and New Zealand. Halecium scutum Clark, 1877 is recognized as a valid species and distinct from both H. beanii and H. halecinum; colony form and microscopic characters allow a distinction. The pinnate colony form of H. halecinum is a characteristic trait, but not all colonies show this growth form. Halecium beanii can occur in monosiphonic and polysiphonic colonies. Monosiphonic colonies of H. beanii have probably been misidentified by some authors as H. lankesterii. The differences of H. lankesteri to H. beanii and H. petrosum are discussed. The South African population of the reportedly cosmopolitan H. beanii has distinct gonothecae and could belong to a separate species. The Mediterranean Halecium mediterraneum is hardly distinguishable from the New Zealandic H. delicatulum, but it is kept separate mainly for biogeographic reasons. The rare Mediterranean Halecium banyulense is redescribed based on a second find from Naples. The male gonothecae of Halecium corrugatissimum are described for the first time.

Walter George Ridewood (1867–1921), an English comparative anatomist, was influential for many reasons, including his methods for preparing anatomical specimens and the factual results of his studies, as well as through his approach toward systematic comparative anatomy. Ridewood was not limited to expertise in any particular taxonomic group, but rather researched and published on many groups and anatomical systems, most notably on the hyoid apparatus of basal anurans, the skull of basal teleostean fishes, the gill morphology of lamellibranch molluscs, and the morphology and taxonomy of the pterobranch Cephalodiscus. In this paper, we describe Ridewood's life, and discuss his influence, particularly in regards to the systematic osteology of teleostean fishes. We provide a partially annotated list of Ridewood's published works.

This paper provides a checklist and a key to the 22 Chinese species of the nirvanine leafhopper genus Sophonia Walker. Two new species, Sophonia transvittata sp. nov. and S. yunnanensis sp. nov., a...

An account is given of new distributional records and the taxonomy of nine species of marine triclad, including the description of two new species. After more than 100 years of uncertainty, the paper resolves the taxonomic status of the enigmatic nominal species Procerodes solowetzkianus Sabussow, 1900. The study concludes with a biogeographic analysis of all species of marine planarian by documenting patterns of species richness on an equal area grid map of the world.